Alienated
by ShadowSpirits
Summary: (Yaoi - YamixMalik) Even as one person can begin to be saved, another is sure to start to fall. It's inevitable.
1. Chapter One

I wonder how much I can screw this up? I hope not _too _badly…Anyway, this was a requested fic from _kasumi-10_. It may be really messed up mainly because I got kind of confused after awhile. And….yeah….it's just really odd, ok? Cut me some slack XD It's fun to write though.

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Warnings: Yaoi - will be Mnemoshipping (Yami/Malik), Puppyshipping (Seto/Jou), future one-sided Darkshipping (Bakura/Yami). OOC characters, I'm sorry o.o 

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Note: The Sennen Items do _not_ exist. The puzzle and ring are around strictly to show Yami and Bakura with certain…superiority. You'll see. 

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Disclaimer: Yeah, so it's a shame that I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters. I find it even more of a shame that I don't own the two characters Merle and Mahle, they belong to _kasumi-10_. How upsetting. Oh well, I've had longer disclaimers. 

"I am extraordinary if you ever get to know me, I am extraordinary I am just your average every day sane psycho." -Extraordinary: _Liz Phair _

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Chapter One: Not So Welcomed

A grunt fell from the lips of a body being tossed to the ground. The form's head snapped around, platinum blonde hair flapping around to reveal a set of glaring eyes. Nevertheless, the form remained silent, looking up at the taller other who smugly watched him. The lavender eyes of the boy narrowed more and he shifted, still on the ground. He wasn't an idiot, if he stood up he'd only end up on the ground again.

"Ryuuji! Who are you picking fights with _now_?!"

The lavender gaze shifted to someone beyond the one who tossed him down.

"I'm not picking on anyone, Ryou," Otogi returned easily with a shrug, crossing slender arms and blowing a strand of hair from his face, only to have it fall back in place. Ryou came up besides him and helped the boy on the ground up, glaring at the black haired other. "Tsh, really, Ryou. You're too kind," the jade eyes locked on the one besides Ryou. "I was just teaching him who's in charge here. You see, kid," Otogi strode over to tower over the light blonde boy, who still kept smart silence. "I can handle new others to this school. What I _can't _handle is little new rats like you who come here and immediately try to push my friends around."

At those last words, Ryou's eyes widened and he looked to the boy he had helped, moving away almost in an instant until he was back besides Ryou. Otogi smirked, watching the boy's defense rising without delay.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he growled darkly, arms at his side, hands curling into fists.

Otogi chuckled, mainly for getting an easy rise from the other. He rose a hand, pointing behind the boy to the granite steps of the school entrance where a few students lingered around. "See that blonde over there? The one you were trying to have a fight with earlier?" he almost caught the other smirk, but his glare stopped that from happening. "That's Jounouchi Katsuya. The taller one talking with him is Seto Kaiba, have you heard of him? The CEO of Kaiba Corp?"

"I've just moved here, of course I haven't heard of him," the other scoffed out, crossing his arms tensely.

"Hn. Well, he's not one to mess with. And _you _messed with his pup…which in general would leave you bleeding on the pavement. But _I _take the liberty to welcome new arrivals, I felt like being more nice to you. My name is Ryuuji Otogi," he held out his hand and the shook the new boy's hand, the smirk never leaving his face. He heard the silver haired boy, Ryou, mumble something, but promptly ignored him to continue. "Seto Kaiba and I basically run over this school, got it? You aren't _allowed _to try and rise above our power."

"Ryuuji!" Ryou practically hissed quietly.

"Oh, right, of course, Ryou. I _suppose _your brother and Yami have _some _rule here too," Otogi chuckled a bit, eyes never leaving the new kid.

"Ryuuji…" the pale other whined a bit now.

"Ryou, be _quiet_."

"Fine. Get your head bit off."

"Eh?" Otogi turned his gaze around to Ryou, but not before they caught sight of a near figure patiently tapping his foot. Otogi quickly straightened, faltering lightly with a chuckle. "Why hello there, Yami…" he tossed a bit of a glare to Ryou, who only shrugged innocently. "How long have you been standing there?"

"How long have you held student rule over the school?" he simply returned, crimson eyes taking in sight of Otogi, Ryou, and the new kid. He folded his arms over the black sleeveless shirt, being one of few to refuse to wear the school uniforms. Even Seto Kaiba wore one, and that was saying something. 

"About one minute and that's all," Otogi muttered, moving back to allow Yami to saunter over to the new student. "He tried to pick a fight with Jounouchi. He's useless, really, definitely not one to add with us. Let him fend for himself, Yami."

Ryou made a bit of a sound of disapproval, but said nothing else, merely watching a moment.

"What's your name?" Yami's voice coolly touched into the air, looking over the boy in tan pants and some kind of cloth shirt in a lighter color than his eyes. It was sickening. Yami snorted, already beginning to agree with Otogi.

The boy growled, hating the singled out feeling, "Malik Ishtar."

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"The brat! Who does he think he is, pickin' a fight wit' me?! Me! Of all people! No one picks a fight wit' Jounouchi Katsuya!" the blonde ranted as he had for the last five minutes, moving from sitting on the brick side of the steps to standing angrily. His boyfriend at that point was ignoring him, but Jou hardly noticed - still infuriated with….that…._kid_.

There was a light chuckle from the doorway, "Jou, no one picks a fight with _you _only because they're afraid of Seto and Ryuuji beating the life out of them."

"Shut up, Merle!" he tried to yell back, but it came out more as a pout. But it _was_ the truth. Everyone could at least survive against Jounouchi…but everyone else from their group was another story…

The teachers and principal hardly do anything. Teachers give detentions, the principal nips his voice out whenever he's out of his office. Which isn't often. Jounouchi once heard Yuugi refer to him as a hermit and that name stuck for the most part. Yuugi…wasn't really in with their group, he'd be around with his older brother at times, but other than that he'd hang with Honda and Anzu.

"Yami finally showed up," Seto muttered as he leant by the door, watching the scene with the new kid in the distance. "If he even has a single thought to let that kid join us, I'm choking him with that puzzle on a string."

"Someone is over protective," Merle chirped in, humming a love song softly to herself. "Worried the new boy really _yearns _for you puppy?" she chuckled when two glares landed on her. The amber eyes closed softly with amusement, long auburn hair flowing down her back and dancing slightly in the spring breeze. 

Jou began, "You know what?" she blinked over to him, "You're more annoyin' than your sister."

She merely smiled again, slipping back into the school building. Unlike the others, she'd rather stay inside the school during the lunch period. 

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Malik watched Yami carefully, feeling almost like a mouse - waiting for the hawk to take him as a meal. This wasn't a school he wanted to be at…Egypt was looking better than this…_why _did his sister have to drag him here of all places? If his brother were here, he'd be fine. But no, Mariku is still in Egypt finishing with some crazy task Shaadi has him doing. 

His eyes dropped to the necklace around the other's neck. Held up by a leather string was some golden upside down pyramid, an eye engraved to the front of it. Malik shivered a bit unconsciously at the sight of it, but a hand lay over the item before Malik could stare any longer. His gaze shifted back to Yami who was glaring down upon him. 

"We set up our own hierarchy among students that the teachers don't noticed. Sure there's a student council, but they're hopeless zombies set out to carry what the teachers couldn't themselves and force them to. But our method is better. Myself, Otogi, and Ryou decided we'd rule over half of the school. The other half is under the 'control' of Bakura, Seto, and Jounouchi. Let's just say Ryou and Jounouchi are the peacekeepers, I'd normally say take your whining to them - but since you've picked a fight with one of them….that only leaves Ryou for you're help…"

"Not in your life!" Ryou glared at Malik, upset that the boy had tried to hurt one of his friends. "Yami, where's my brother?"

"I left him in the cafeteria with Mahle."

"W-What…?" Ryou blinked, eyes wide. "Are you insane?! She's out to kill him!" the boy pivoted on his feet and ran towards the school building, tripping on the steps leaving Jou to grab him before he fell.

"What's the rush?"

"Yami left Bakura and Mahle alone!"

Jou glanced towards the scene and shook a fist in the direction as he yelled, "Yami you idiot!" the other gave him a brief look of boredom and Jounouchi grumbled, letting Ryou go and himself and Seto followed the boy into the building.

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"Hey, Yami, the bell is going to ring soon. And I have a geometry test next period."

"Oi," he cursed softly in response, turning to face Otogi and completely ignoring Malik. "And Mrs. Mikoto is giving us a new science project. I'm failing her class enough as it is," Yami groaned, starting back for the building when Otogi's voice made him stop and look back over his shoulder.

"What about the Ishtar-rat?"

"Who cares," he continued walking. Malik could feel the anger rise through his bones, waiting until Yami cleared the building before following, eyes dark with fire. 

Otogi shrugged and sighed. "I really hate getting new students."

"I was new once."

He started and turned around, looking towards one of the larger trees on the school ground. "And so was Jounouchi. _And _you know _exactly _who else," a girl's voice huffed in disappointment. She stepped up right in front of Otogi, eyes narrowing. "I could slap you right now."

"Anzu, really, calm down. You three were the good kind of new…that _rat _isn't, he doesn't belong here!" he quickly tried to uphold his defense, backing away from the angry girl. That school uniform meant nothing to her, when she was mad, school didn't chain her down.

"You said those same words when Yami came to this school! You wouldn't even cut him some slack when you realized him and Yuugi were related!"

"Anzu -"

"When I got here, Mai and Mahle kept a scouting eye on me. When Jounouchi arrived, _somehow _Seto and Merle watched over him. But no one was there for Yami! …You know what…" she paused, her anger seeping away and she pulled back, face contorting with a sick and sad look combined. "…I shouldn't hold any sympathy for Yami…"

Otogi began to inch back towards the entrance, but he was actually listening to her all the while.

Her eyes drifted shut and she hung her head, shaking it slightly, "Why…why should I be sympathetic….to someone who's treating someone else the way you treated him…?" her gaze looked back to Otogi who was now on the steps, staring back at her calmly. "It's not fair."

"I suppose," Otogi mumbled more to himself, turning away on the bell and walking back inside.

"Science class next period…" she smiled and ran for the building, "…can't wait."

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"You know what?! You're a psycho incubus from freaking Hell!" his voice rose over that of the bell ending the lunch period, his form jumping atop a tabletop and pointing at a female figure. 

"Why thank you!" she replied, smiling with her arms crossed behind her back as she stared back innocently. Unlike most of the school's females, _she _managed to…well…commandeer one of the male's uniforms from storage. It would have been much more enjoyable and amusing to steal one from an actual student, but her little sister forced her against it.

"What's going on?"

"Just hurry to class…"

"Someone call a doctor! The Insane Brigade is lose!"

"What the heck…?"

"One of them is one the table! Let's stay and watch!"

". . . . . ."

"Ahhh! He has a knife in his hand!"

"It's plastic, _idiot_."

"Let's just get out of here."

Ryou, Seto, and Jou faltered when they entered the cafeteria. Sure they heard what all the passing kids were saying, but they never expecting things to look _this_ bad. Bakura was standing up on a table, food trays all on the ground…the poor, defenseless jello never stood a chance… Standing near the table was a smirking Mahle, the older sister of Merle. 

The younger of the two silver hairs rushed forward, looking up at his brother and shouting up, "Bakura, get off the table before anyone else comes!"

"_Why_?! To be near that….witch!" he jabbed a finger in the direction of the laughing girl. "I don't trust her one bit! No freaking way!"

"I. Don't. Care," Ryou sighed at his brother, grabbing an arm and dragging the other down, ignoring the sound of protest, "We're going to class. I'm tired of being late because of _you_…oh…and by the way, you missed the new kid, Malik or something."

Bakura snorted as Mahle waved him goodbye with a smirk, leaving the two sisters, Jou, and Seto still in the cafeteria. Bakura was released at last to walk on his own, scoffing all the while and wondering where he dropped his plastic knife, _oh well_. 

"Psh, I don't care. Not my department."

"Ah, but Yami had to step in on this one," Ryou pointed out with a smile as they walked down the hall.

"Hm? Really?" Bakura blinked, looking from the trinket that rested around his neck then over to his sibling. "Is the kid _that _horrible?"

"Well…actually Yami really stepped in mainly because Ryuuji was off saying that he was higher than him and you…" Ryou chuckled a bit at remembering the scene, watching Bakura throw his hands up and turn to face him. Ryou caught sight of the clock behind him and took note to the fact that they were already five minutes late. There was a mistake, but they wouldn't be missing _too _much, it was just science and there was a new project. Nothing major - they'd get caught up with the briefing from Honda and Yami.

"Then it seems once again…I don't care about this new kid," he turned away again and continued to walk.

Ryou rolled his eyes, "We're late, you know."

"I don't care, all right?!" Bakura sighed in annoyance. How many times had he said that? Four times? Well, he really didn't care about that either, so Ryou decided not to even bother counting now. There really was no point to it.

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"This project will consist of your car, poster, and report, that you and your partner will be - you two are late, sit down - working on," the teacher in the front hardly even paused as Ryou and Bakura entered the class. There was a look of "silent death" in her hazel eyes, though they quickly avoided it and took seats near the back of the rows: Ryou in in front of Honda and Bakura between Ryou and Yami. 

Ryou's gaze flickered over the aisles and rows, catching sight of a blonde close to the front of the classroom. He leant over a bit, whispering to Bakura, "That's him."

"Eh?" he blinked in response, following Ryou's eyes to where they were looking…indeed, he hadn't seen that boy before. "So that's him?"

Yami snorted, pulling up their attention, "Ignore him. Some Ishtar rat or someone, no one of our interest, so just ignore him."

Bakura gave a nod, leaning back in his desk and fidgeting slightly with the item around his neck. His, like Yami's styled item, was a sign of his "authority" in matters of the system they set up. Honda mumbled something in their direction to shut up and Bakura simply shrugged and went on to listening to Mrs. Mikoto.

"I will be picking partners - listen up for your name," she pulled a clipboard from her desk, glancing over it and then around the room before nodding to herself, starting to call out the partnerships. The four in the back sat relaxingly and basically blocked out the teacher. Every project they've had in the class it's been the same people matched up: Yami with Bakura, Ryou with Honda. What was the point to paying attention?

"Got any ideas on the project, Ryou?" Honda prodded the boy in front of him with the eraser of his pencil and the other shrugged and looked back.

"I still have no idea what it's on."

"Balloon car."

"Oh great…" Ryou groaned. He'd heard of this project from the Juniors - painful yet satisfying to the teachers. Make a car powered only by a balloon, have a poster to explain how it works, and then the report. The painful report holding all the data on distance and what you believe and don't believe. "Glad you're good with this sort of thing."

Honda gave a smile, " 'Course I am. We're set on this."

" - Bakura and Ryou…"

Bakura rose his head up at his name…not with Yami's. He looked over to the other in confusion who quickly shrugged, and then to his brother who was lost in the same state.

"Wait, what?" Ryou shook his head, looking over to Honda then back to the teacher, sulking, "this is stupid."

"Awww, don't want to work with me, Ryou?" his brother laughed, though he was disappointed.

"_No_, I don't. You're going to mess it all up…" he sighed in return, resting his head down onto the desk's surface.

" - Anzu and Honda…"

Honda mumbled something, glancing at Anzu who was across the room. She didn't look to him at all, only stared down at her desk chuckling. _Have fun everyone. Not who you were expecting to be with? Hn. Well, blame Yami, it's his fault for being cruel to Malik earlier_, she rose her gaze to Mrs. Mikoto slightly, who was still calling off names and then over to Malik._ It's a good thing she likes me. Would have never been able to help her pick the partnerships otherwise._

" - Yami and Malik…"

Yami's body stiffened and he felt the gaze of the two silver haired boys on him. _You're shitting me…_ was the first thought into Yami's mind as he shot a dark gaze to the boy in the front corner. Good, the Ishtar boy was smart and didn't look back. But why the hell did he have to be put with the new rat in town?! Why couldn't he be with Bakura - like always!?

"Enjoy, Yami," Bakura tried not to laugh, seeing in the other's eyes the anger that filled them. _Leader grouped with new kid. That has to suck…_

"Man, Yami….sorry…" Ryou whispered and Yami glared. He didn't want anyone's pity. This was someone's idea of a joke - it had to be. The school was nearly Yami and Bakura's, therefore no one had any right to play a trick like this on him, not even a teacher! 

Mrs. Mikoto read off the last partnership and told everyone to meet up with one another for the rest of the class to start planning. Yami refused to move and Malik made no sign of it either, everyone else around the classroom were lively enough, envisioning great ideas for their designs. 

"So, um, got any thoughts?" Honda mumbled, sitting on a desktop near Anzu. "I was thinking we could use a bottle for the base…"

"No. Milk carton," she shrugged, not really paying attention as she glanced between the many desks that were separating Malik and Yami.

"A _milk carton_?"

"Would be lighter than a liter bottle."

"Whatever Anzu…" 

The teacher has sat down at her desk after productivity had begun, looking up through her narrow glasses to check around the room, straightening slightly, "Yami? Would you please get to work with your partner?" Malik glanced up when she spoke and chanced a look towards Yami, who was giving a hard gaze to Mrs. Mikoto.

"No."

"No?" she rose a brow, questioning him to make sure she had heard right. The class seemed to start paying attention to the two instead of their work. Ryou bit his lip and muttered worriedly to Bakura, his brother only shook his head and sighed. 

"_No_," Yami emphasized in return, crossing his arms over his torso. 

Mrs. Mikoto stood from her desk, moving between rows to stand before his desk, smiling almost wickedly down at Yami. Her pale arms mocked Yami's by crossing as well, eyes sharp and alert. It was one thing that the students disliked among the younger teachers - they were keenly aware. 

"Would you like your F now, or later?"

"Excuse me?" Yami blinked up at her, faltering slightly at the harsh comment, but quickly regained his attitude.

"You heard me. And you _know _you're failing this class," her arms shifted and her hands were flat on the desktop, face close to his, whispering so none of the other students would hear. After all, everyone was listening intently, even Malik. "So if you wish to keep being your stuck-up self and not work on this project with the boy in the front, then take your F now and get out of my class, freeloader."

He stared at her blankly, keeping his cool on the outside only because he had trained himself to do so for too long. His crimson gaze flickered around the room, silence hanging. He caught eyes with Bakura's and gulped a bit, noting the other was concerned, meaning that Yami's outer image had obviously cracked ever so slightly…but it was enough for him. 

Yami looked to his desktop, nodding his head slowly and mumbling, "Hai, Mrs. Mikoto. I'll do the project with him."

"That's more like it," she was smiling again before turning away, striding back for her desk and flicking her hand about, "Back to work everyone."

Yami continued to look at the desk, breathing slowly and starting when he heard Bakura's voice, "You ok?"

He stood up, eyes tightening and shooting a glare towards the two silver haired boys as his only answer and spun on a heel to make his way over to Malik's desk. The lavender eyes rose nervously and Yami snorted, back to his "normal" self. "I refuse to work on this now with _you_. We'll use your house after school, understand?"

Malik cringed under the pressure and stood up, hating to be looked down upon. Especially by one of the "rulers" of the school. It was stupid, Malik had figured, students forming what seemed like a cult to him and reigning over the other. He would _not _let the other use him like another pawn, he was _tired _of feeling used, "It's only my sister at home, I don't think she'll be that hap -"

"Your house. _Not_ mine. Can you comprehend that, Ishtar?" Yami cut in firmly. Maybe Malik couldn't put up against this other. 

"…I understand."

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Um. Yeah….If characters seem OOC to you, they most likely have reasons that none of you know XP. Except Anzu, if you think she's out of character then oh well XD She has no real reason, but I don't care. Oh, and sorry if your OC's are out of character, _kasumi-10_, I was kind of winging it…

Donno if this is AT ALL what you expected XD Oh well? Erk… 

Yeah…next chapter at…er…some point -_____- 


	2. Chapter Two

Wow…glad everyone likes it so far, I wasn't really sure. So it's nice to have the reviews ^^ 

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Kewie: Thank you ^^ Glad the idea is originalish.

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Spyder Webb: XD Yami/Mariku is still my signature pairing, but Yami/Malik was the original request - so I can't exactly turn that down. And you're one-shot it DONE!! I don't like Anzu paired with many people XD But, I've come not to hate her if I just…tweak her personality slightly XD Yeah. All the classes for the most part that the chars have are ones I've been through - the whole balloon car was hell (my mom saved me on it), but I didn't have to do a poster - just added it to make them have more work to do XD Mariku will show up at some point in this fic. Donno when.

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MistressSerenity: Ariagatou ^^

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Sugar-Goddess: I never was very good at updating soon. I don't think those two words apply to me XD

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Selphius: The actual yaoi between Yami and Malik may take awhile…Because 1.) I want to make it seem real. And 2.) I love tormenting them SO much…

I'm allowed to swear now ^^

Started writing this in school. Ha. I made schedules up of the twelve main characters for my own use, everyone are sophomores, except for Yuugi and Merle. Schedules are kind of odd…I decided that Anzu took all her English classes freshmen year, thus has none this year XD Yeah….whatever…I'm rambling…

Ah. And some teachers are just weird and refer to students by their…first name? Donno. Japanese confuses me sometimes XD One last thing:

Isis + rough day at work = really, REALLY nasty and kinda OOC.

"Anyone can do any amount of work provided it isn't the work they are supposed to be doing." -Robert Benchly

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Chapter Two: Dealings

"Can't I just be a tree in this one?" Anzu blinked at her Theatre Studies/Acting teacher, Ms. Terca, from the stage. It's not every day that their class does scenes such as these…like the kind of thing done in elementary school almost. 

"Anzu…please just be the little girl. Ryuuji, on stage as well now…good," the teacher examined them from the floor of the auditorium, nodding to herself as Otogi hopped up on stage to stand besides Anzu. "All right, Ryuuji will be playing your cat - Rascal," she chuckled to herself as the two blinked. "You said you wanted to try a bit of improv, so here you are. Anzu, I want your character to be sitting in your house with your cat, upset because you just discovered in your brother's room there were drugs."

She thought this over and nodded, moving center stage and sitting on the ground, taking a moment to think over the part. Otogi, amused by being the cat, was already on the ground, stalking around Anzu and managing a purring sound.

Ms. Terca moved towards the rest of the class who had been seated in the chairs, petite body pausing in motion. "Hirota and Yuugi, on stage as well. Hirota - you are the brother, Yuugi will be a friend of yours coming home. All right then - start!" she smiled, turning around gracefully and taking a seat. 

"Come on, right inside…have it in my room," Honda entered from stage right, Yuugi following closely behind. They glanced over to Anzu, the "young girl" upset on the floor as her cat mewed. "Hey, sis' what's the problem?"

Anzu looked up, remembering it was her brother she was upset with and quickly stood, brushing off. "N-Nothing…"

"You lying?"

"No!"

"Just leave her be, Honda. You're showing me the stuff, right?"

"It's not in your room now," Anzu whispered, head lowering as the two began to walk by her. Honda immediately stopped and turned to face his sister. "Mom has it. She's really upset with you, Honda. She said she'd _speak _with you when she got home…"

"Anzu…" Honda growled down at his sister and Yuugi backed away nervously. "And just how did she get it? Was it you?!"

"I-I'm sorry, Honda! I didn't know what it was…I….I thought it was just trash so I gave it to Mom…I didn't know what to do!"

"Get out of my sight!"

"But Honda - " Anzu cried out, trying to understand her brother fully. She hadn't meant to do anything wrong!

"Mrow…" Otogi brushed against Anzu's legs right before she turned and ran off stage. 

Clapping was heard and Ms. Terca stood, smiling at the group as they all moved center stage. "Very nice. You all should take my Improv class next year."

"My brother is in it," Yuugi mumbled, staring at the ground. "He says it's insane." He felt a nudge at his side and looked at Honda, confused as the other whispered down at him.

"With her as a teacher, of course it's insane."

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"I know Isis! It's….not my fault. …Really! I tried to say no…but he was very distinct…. What do you want me to do?! I don't want to even be at this damn school!" Malik stood in the hallway, keeping close watch to the area around as he pressed his cell phone close. "I'm _sorry_, Isis, ok? Please, just this one time, I need to do this otherwise my life is screwed! ….I know! Ok? You don't have to keep telling me, I _know _Mariku is the better brother, so shut up about it!" Malik turned his cell off quickly, leaning into a set of lockers with closed eyes. He hated Yami - that other put him to this and now Isis would hardly leave him be. It wasn't his fault…what was he _supposed _to do…?

"Excuse me…? Malik…right?"

The boy nearly jumped, eyes snapping to glance to his side where Merle was innocently standing. He glared at her and she smiled, holding out a hand. "Hi, I'm Merle. I…heard you started on a bad foot with some of my friends…I can help you, if you want that is.."

"Shouldn't you be in a class?" his glared continued.

"Shouldn't _you_?" she shot back, crossing her arms. He turned away, starting to walk off and she quickly shook herself out and ran up to meet him. "Wait! Sorry…just…I can be your friend, and at _least _pull Jounouchi and Seto to liking you too. Come on, what do you say?" she held out her hand in offer, but didn't expect it to be seized in his grasp. She cringed and stared up as his eyes briefly flashed. "Malik…?"

"I don't need a friend and I don't need to be in this _stupid_ school, I'll be out of here soon enough anyway, so why should I bother making strong ties to this damned place?" he snapped, releasing her wrist and continued walking. So he was having a bad first day.

"Wait…" Merle paused, blinking in shock. "He's going to be leaving…?"

He only wished he could actually leave. He was hoping to convince his sister, or try and write to Mariku and Rishid back in Egypt - they could get him free from here, right? Of course…of course.

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The ending bell rang and Malik slumped outside, sitting up on the granite sidings of the front steps with his legs pulled into his chest. This was going to be his demise: this place - if he didn't get away soon. Actually, this project was going to kill him. Worst yet, he still didn't know his beginning day classes because he only came yesterday during lunch. For all he knew, he'd be dead before second period could even begin. 

"Hey, it's Yami's rat!" Jou came out, arm looped with Seto's and a smirk plastered to his face in a cheesy way. He swung Seto around slightly as he swiftly gave Malik a push to topple the boy over before Malik could do anything, except brace for impact.

He grumbled in the grass, laying on his side and looking up to the Katsuya boy who was chuckling. "'ey, don' look at me like that! It's your own fault!"

"He _does _have a point," Seto scoffed lightly, dragging Jounouchi away. Malik could hear them conversing as they walked, "Come on, pup, THIS time you're getting that History report done."

"What about yours…?"

"I already did it."

"What?! But it was just assigned - " 

"Last week."

Jou gaped, "You're kiddin' me!"

Malik snorted and rose himself up, brushing his side off and standing up, glancing around to see a few staring at him, mainly a smug looking Yami. Malik gulped, quickly averting his gaze.

"So, you eat grass too?"

"Shut up," Malik mumbled, starting to walk in the direction of his apartment. "Let's just get this over with."

Yami gave a shrug, following.

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"This is your _home_?"

"Yes, ok?" Malik grew agitated with the other more now, ringing the doorbell as he stood up on the metal steps. He glanced down a bit while waiting, noting that the dumpster had finally been emptied. He lived with his sister on a three-floored apartment, they were on the second floor and didn't even know (or cared) who resigned in the other two. 

"Oh, good, you're home," Isis tried to act civil as she looked between the two, sighing and stepping back to let them in. She closed the door, allowing herself to take a breath before turning to face her younger brother. "Malik, I have to go to the museum - I'll be back by dinner. _He _better be gone by then and everything better be in one piece."

He nodded, setting his bag down and ignoring her slightly.

She was about to leave, but paused, "I almost forgot! Mariku sent you a letter," with that, she was gone.

Malik forgot Yami was their and lit up, striding over to a small kitchen table and seizing a letter from it before sitting into a chair, tearing through the envelope.

__

Dear Malik,

Shaadi…that asshole. He's keeping me here! "Performing the rights of the older Ishtar," so he says. I don't know when the hell I'll be able to fly there. I swear, the old man has a list of pointless things he wants me to do! And Rishid can't come up without me, he's trying to make plans to get us out quicker. I suggested we kill Shaadi, but Rishid wasn't too keen about the idea (he did think about it though). Just hold out for a week or two, ok?

-Mariku

"One or two weeks? He makes it sound easy…" Malik sighed, panicking when Yami snatched the letter from his hands and looked at it.

"Hm. What's this scrap?" Yami's eyes browsed the letter until Malik jumped from his chair and tore it back angrily. 

"Hands off!" he snapped, snorting and folding the letter to set it away from Yami on the far end of the table. "As I said before - let's just get this over with?"

Yami briefly scoffed, leaning against a wall, "I need an A on this project, understand? Or can your mind not even comprehend _that_ much?"

"Are you just going to mock me all the while?" Malik tipped his head back to glance into the small kitchen, checking the clock on the microwave and sighing. It's only been five minutes. How the hell was he supposed to live through this if five minutes was this much of a problem to him?

Crimson eyes rolled in annoyance and Yami mumbled something, "That'd be rather enjoyable, but since as I said - I need an A in this class, I suppose I _can't _mock you all the while," Yami's lips pulled back in a smirk and he sat on the backing of the couch nearby, "So, genius, how should we do this little project?"

"Eh…what? Genius? Huh? I….I don't know!" Malik snapped back, shaking his head quickly to make Yami laugh out. Malik sent him a glare, "I'm no genius. I have no idea how to even _start _this project."

"Great. Here…let's see…" Yami helped himself to the fridge in the kitchen, searching throw and finding an unopened bottle of Diet Sprite. He snorted and opened it, leaning over the sink and pouring it down, causing Malik to gape near by. "I never did like diet."

"That was my sister's! You….You…"

"What? Asshole? Yes, yes, I know," Yami made a proud face and examined the empty bottle, glancing back to Malik, "This should work fine. Attach some wheels and somehow a balloon - we'll be set."

***********************

An hour later they had little luck with the bottle. They'd made straws as axles and stuck them through the bottle and Malik managed to find some old bottle caps to use as wheels. All in all - even without a balloon, the car refused to move. 

Malik sunk back against the couch as he heard Yami throw the car against the clock on the base of the TV. "Stupid, good for nothing project…"

That was about when Malik actually _noticed_ the clock and fumbled to sit up, staring at the bright green digits with fear, "Get out."

"Excuse me?"

"Get. OUT! My sister will be home in five minutes! Shit, shit, shit…" Malik grabbed Yami's wrist and hauled him towards the door, reaching for the knob to open it when he found that someone already had, and was standing right in the doorway. "Isis! You're…home…five minutes early…" he sweat dropped and sunk back slightly. 

She glanced to the clock on the TV and then over at one in the kitchen, "Well, if you go by the TV - then I suppose I _would _be early, but you should _know _that one is fast. Therefore, I am not late…and _he _is still in the house." Isis stepped in and glared down at Yami, observing his defiant features and raising a brow, "Is he supposed to be tough or something?"

Malik released Yami's wrist finally and stepped in front of Isis, "Sister, please, I can tell you had a rough day. Too many kids at the museum?"

"Everywhere. Little brats were climbing on my precious Anubis statue…I wanted to hit the brats…" she mumbled, eyes not leaving Yami. They glinted darkly, she was obviously not liking his smug attitude. Too many kids in one day can do that to a person. 

"Eh, then why don't you go rest or something…He was just leaving, I promise!"

"Hn," she scoffed at her brother and pushed him aside, getting a better view at the shorter boy.

Yami crossed his arms, raising a brow when he caught sight of Malik hitting his head against a wall.

__

Idiot, idiot, idiot, he couldn't have just LEFT now, could he? Malik cursed in his mind.

"So you're _his _sister, huh? Just because you're older, I won't let someone like _you _push me around," Yami snorted, rolling his eyes and looking out the door. He really did want to go home. She was still in the way. "Now, would you step aside so I can leave this dump?" he hadn't meant to say that last bit, and he promptly regretted it when a sting passed over his cheek, but he refused to raise a hand to it. His eyes snapped back to Isis with a glare she matched.

"This so called dump happens to be our home, now be a good little child and _leave_ and don't come back again, I already have to deal with enough wannabe 'tough brats,' and I will _not _choose to deal with you again."

"Wannabe?! How dare y-" that earned him a second slap, just as hard and maybe worse. He turned his eyes darkly to Malik, who refused to look at him before making his way out the door, hearing it slam behind him. He slumped in pain, holding his cheek as the skin felt as if it blistered beneath his hand. His eyes slid shut and he pulled in a breath to relax himself. So _what _if he was a wannabe, at least he was alive in the world still. _I'm such an idiot_, he thought, moving down the stairs slowly. He had pushed his luck too much with her.

***********************

"You didn't have to do that…" Malik murmured with a sighed, making perfect eye contact…with the wall. 

"If he wants to be an idiot and mess with me, he should pay the price!" she snapped back, walking into the kitchen and opening the fridge, pushing things aside in search for something. "If I see him hear again, he will get _worse_ for messing with a pissed-off-Egyptian."

"But, Isis! I need to work with him on my project!"

"Too bad, Malik! Work at _his _house, if he even HAS one," she shuffled through the fridge more, finally calling back to her brother directly, raising her voice as she realized he had gone to his room, "Did you drink my soda?"

Malik spoke up without thinking, "Yami poured it down the sink." _Stupid me, stupid! Ra…I can't protect anyone. _

"He did _WHAT_?!"

The blonde cringed and dug his head into a pillow, laying on his bed with the setting sun being his only light. 

***********************

"Yami! You're home!" Yuugi gave a light cheer, stopping almost immediately when his brother walked by him in remote silence. He made a slight pout, stepping out ahead of the other and waving a hand across his face. "Hello? Anyone home?"

Yami blinked, snapping out of his distant trance, "What?"

The younger one sighed, crossing his arms, "You ok? You're really out of it…"

He gave a slow nod, "I'm fine," he lied, but Yuugi didn't seem to notice much to Yami's relief. He tossed his bag on the table, turning around to look at his brother again. "Where's mom?"

"Shopping."

"Gramps?"

"Convention."

"Another one…?"

"Yup," Yuugi nodded. "Ms. Terca told our class today we should take Improv," he heard Yami laugh and smiled, sitting down at the kitchen table, watching as the other was going to prepare some scrambled eggs, pan already out and sprayed and eggs already whisked. "What do you think about that?"

"_I _don't think you could handle. What, did you play one little game or something?"

"Yeah, well, sort of. She gave a few of us a role and sent us up on stage to act out a scene."

"Did anyone ask questions?"

"Of course!"

Yami shook his head, prodding at the eggs with a light smile, "Questions aren't allowed. Could you handle that?"

"What…?" Yuugi leant over the table, eyes wide, "No questions? Are you kidding me?"

"It's a rule, sorry pal," he split the eggs onto two plates and dumped the pan in the sink, moving to a chair across the other, placing a plate before both of them and sitting, grabbing the salt. "You have a study hall second period right? Then come in and watch. She won't mind."

***********************

How did he do it…? Someone answer him - how the hell did he get through first period? It should have been an impossible feat for Malik! With all the people in that Geometry class? Maybe it was the teacher he could have thanked, for not forcing him to sit near ANY of his 'enemies.' He could _feel _Yami's glare on him all the while. Not to mention Jounouchi throwing small balls of paper at him all the while, though that stopped halfway through the class when he accidentally hit Ryou on the head - causing both Honda and Seto to glare at him. Mrs. Ridge spared Malik - that's all he cared about.

Now his second period class? He already had a bad feeling about it…

"Why are you followed me?" 

He blinked up to see Yami looking back at him and shook his head, "My class is this way."

Yami groaned, slipping down a hallways all to itself, the auditorium on one side while the prop room (locked), theatre classroom, and chorus classroom rested on the other side of the hall. Yami was greeted by Otogi and Jou, dropping his bag by a wall with the others and giving a nice stretch. Yuugi was already in the room, seated behind the desk to have a good view of watching. He was slightly surprise to have seen Anzu in the room as well, though she was there as a teacher aid and was currently taking attendance.

There was a normal bantering going on by the windows between Mahle and Bakura, Yami discerned is was about witchcraft by the sounds of it. 

Malik hid a bit in the back of the room, glancing around, lavender eyes fixating to the small stage across the room, painted black and about a foot off the ground taking up a good portion of the wall. Ms. Terca had everyone be seated, making sure Anzu recorded everyone. "All set here."

"Good. Now let's say we do a little bit of a warm-up to show our visitor, Yuugi, and our new student, Malik, a taste of this class? Hm? Any ideas?" there were a few shrugs along the bunch and she smirked a bit when someone began to speak, cutting them off, "Hotspot it is!" she chuckled a bit at the groans, though there were some that seemed excited. "Everyone on stage then." She waited while everyone squished on in a semi-circle, leaning her head back to look at Malik, "Come sit up here."

He sighed, but did as she wished, sitting up next to her. "You seem shy," he blinked at her blunt whisper, "Good then. I like that in a student - I like to break that away in this class." He merely blinked again, remaining silent. She offered a brief smile, looking back to the class. "Your variable to start is…what do you think, Anzu?" Ms. Terca gazed over to her aid.

"Question."

"All right then, someone begin."

Jounouchi jumped right out in front before anyone else could, breaking out into song, "And the answer that you want is in the _question_ that you state, come what may, come what m-"

Mahle tapped him on the shoulder and he jumped back, pulling off his word of 'come' to begin a new song at a random point, "And you are there the moment that I close my eyes you _come _to me, we are connected and now I know - you'll never be alone -"

Otogi stepped in with: 1.) A bit too deep of a voice with his song. 2.) Over exaggerating. And 3.) Purposefully singing badly, "_Alonneee _for awhilllee I've been, ahem, searching through the darrrkkkk! For….places….of the love you left…inssiiideeee my lonely hearrttt! To weaaveee by picking up…the pieces…that remain…"

"Oh, make it stop!" Anzu groaned from the desk, covering her ears and glaring at the smirking Otogi who continued to sing. "Someone, tag him out for the sake of all our lives!"

"We met….we laughed….we held on fast and then we said goodbye -"

Yami cursed at the only song that came to mind, but he couldn't take it anymore and he tagged out Otogi (more like tried to push off the stage). "_Goodbye _to you, goodbye to everything that I knew, you're the one **that I long to**, the one that I hold on to…"

Bakura thought Yami (and perhaps everyone else) had suffered enough at that point and marched around to Yami's side, pushing him out of the way as he sung. "Ifff I just breathier let it fill the space between oh no, everything is alright -"

"How's THAT tie in with Yami's song? My god…it has no relevance!" Mahle laughed from the back, shaking her head with amusement when a glare from Bakura was turned onto her. 

"It's the same bloody artist!" Bakura fumed with a growl. Everyone could already see the clash starting to boil between the two. 

"And you would know this how…?" she hummed back.

"Ryou has a CD or two," he pouted, crossing his arms. "That boy is impossible, I swear."

"Well, I'll be sure to tell him that in Spanish next period," she gave a hearty laugh as all the color left drained from his face and he looked at her in a panic.

"You….you wouldn't…..Come on, Mahle! I was just kidding around!"

Ms. Terca chuckled and looked over to Malik, ignoring the two fighting on the stage. They'd all learned by now that it was near to impossible to even stop them. "Do you have a song to add in?"

"No."

"Come now, there must be _something_."

"Nothing I'd like to share."

She smiled and stood, pointing to the class on stage, "Is it because you don't wish to show yourself in front of people you may not like?" she saw him give a hardly noticeable nod, "Well then…don't show yourself."

"What..?" he suddenly blinked at her, confusion lining his eyes.

"In this class you _become _a character. It could be someone like Bill Clinton, to a drunk stumbling around that you felt like naming Bush. Hardly anytime will you actually be yourself in an improv, though some have. And some…have created such a new, in depth character," her eyes turned on Yami, watching him for a few seconds before he quickly looked away, "that even outside of this class, you never see the real him. Understand?"

"….Yeah…I guess."

"Do you have a song?"

"Not…really one that goes off Bakura's…"

Bakura looked up at his name, then to Mahle, growled, and turned to stand back in the semicircle. She chuckled happily and did the same at the other end, humming to herself, _I won again_. 

The teacher spread her arms as she sat down, voice floating in the air and balancing off the molecules within, "Just sing."

Malik moved slowly from his chair onto the small stage, feeling stares on his back, but tried to ignore them. _Be someone else… _He took a breath, and started, "Happiness is just a word to me and it might have meant a thing or two if I had known the difference…emptiness a lonely parody and my life, another smokin' gun…a sign of my indifference. Always keeping safe inside…where no one ever had a chance to…penetrate a break in…let me tell you some have tried, but I would slam the door so tight that they could never get in."

He smiled when no one made him stop yet, having sunk so much into the words he wasn't sure if he'd be able to stop even if someone made him. "Kept my cool under lock and key and I never shed a tear, another sign of my condition. Fear of love or bitter vanity that kept me on the run, the main events of my confession. I kept a chain upon my door that would shake the shame of Cain into a blind submission, the burning ghost without a name still calling all the same, but I wouldn't listen -"

Anzu stood away from her chair and moved over, getting on the stage and tapping Malik out, deciding it was time to wrap up this game, "The chains on the principal go round and round, round and round, round and round…" at that point everyone was singing and Ms. Terca was moving to close the door so no one would hear. "The chains on the principal go round and round, all during school."

"I would never have expected _that _from you Anzu…" the teacher sighed, signaling everyone to their seats. She smiled to Malik who sat back in the chair by hers. "Very nice job, very nice song," she whispered to him before her voice rose into a snap, "Three people on stage! Let's actually DO an improv! And Yami…I'd like to see you after class.."

He sunk back, head lolling back. _Great. Just great. _

***********************

"I miss the old you, Yami."

"The old me is gone," he replied back, voice on a thin line between firm and weak. "Never to be seen again."

"I know it still exists, how much did you bury it down…?"

"More than enough."

Ms. Terca had been sitting on her desk, noting that her student was basically ignoring her. She'd had him in Theatre Studies last year, gotten to known the scared new kid and slowly watch day by day as not only had he become stronger, but he'd also been developing a new person. But that person didn't bloom full until the start of this year…and in the Improvisation class was when she lost sight of the boy she grew fond of. 

"Yami…you can't hide away forever. It's _impossible_, please, show yourself again. What will it hurt?"

"….Everything," he closed his eyes and turned his head away.

"I'll write you a pass to your next class," she sighed in defeat, grabbing a slip of paper and jotting down the current time, the class, her name and, "Where are you going next…?"

"…History…"

And where he was going. She handed him the pass and shook her head, turning away as he left.

***********************

But…Yami didn't go to class. He hardly even made it to the second floor where his class was, taking a side trip to the bathroom before collapsing against the wall. His hands flexed against the cold surface, body giving a sickly shake, eyes clenching tight. Why must she single him out like that? Try to talk to him? "The old me is gone…" he whispered brokenly to himself, tears breaking from his eyes. "There's nothing she can do to make him come back…I won't allow it to happen!" he tried to yell to convince himself, but it came out more like a distraught murmur.

Luckily no one was in there at the moment, he decided as he slid down the wall, pulling his legs to his chest. _I hate this school……I _**hate **_it… _He cried into his arms, unable to stop himself. "….There's too much pain…t-to…bring the old me….back…"

***********************

There. Finally finished this chapter. I was getting stuck on the Improv game. I suck at that game anyway, lol. But it's a nice long chapter! Ten pages! Be happy, because I have NO idea when the next one will be. I refused to go online until I got this chapter done and I'm working on _Darkness Within_ and _Never _(one-shot Mariku/Jou) at the moment too. Will be a nice big update today, hopefully. _The Pain You Gave Me _has an update on it too today, for anyone who may care.

The following songs were used in the 'Hotspot' game and are not mine:

Blood Red Summer: Coheed and Cambria

Real Emotions: Final Fantasy X-2

Melodies of Life: Final Fantasy IX 

Goodbye to You: Michelle Branch

Breath: Michelle Branch

Gotta Knock a Little Harder: Cowboy Bebop

Please review!


	3. Chapter Three

Poor, poor Yami. *sighs* He's kind of losing it in more than one way. And Malik is just going through hell. And Yoshima is a random OC. *thinks a minute* Yeah, Malik really is having a horrid time this chapter. I pity him -.-

*doesn't remember if she edited this* Err…let's just assume I did….

****

Warnings: Same slash from before. Angst still. And violence -.-;;

Northern Sky Dragon: As you could probably tell, my ability to update soon is very horrible XD Eh, whoops? Couldn't think though. Can't write if you can't think ;; I blame school. That always works.

Black-skull-dragon: Voosh! An update! *waves hands in a magical way*

"Something wrong with every plan of my life, I didn't really notice that you've been here." 

-Heaven's A Lie: _Lacuna Coil_

************************

****

Chapter Three: Snapping

The boy sat low to the ground, eyes blank and hollowed out. Yami, the school's now most feared student, had been there for at least fifteen minutes…and no one probably noticed he was even gone. How could they? He sat in the back of the room with Bakura…away from everyone. Away from any possible threat.

__

Bakura… Would at least one of his best friends have noticed? He understood Yami the most out of anyone, though it took ages to let the other see him. No, no that isn't true. Yami had been displayed out in the open before, mentally at least. _He _used to be the bottom chain of others at school, the punching bag passed around between others who assumed they were tough.

But his theatre class…he could _change_ there. And he used that to his advantage; all those characters he played…he became them, and twisted them, and made a new him at the start of the year. It was perfect, he was safe. But now some are trying to take that away from him…he couldn't allow it! Not after all his effort! Not after all his victories and achievements as the false him! 

"Yami…?" 

His body didn't register anyone was there until a hand was placed on his shoulder and he jumped, eyes wild as they stared over to the opposing form. "B-Bakura?"

"Hey, you ok?"

"Does it _look _like I'm ok?" Yami nearly snapped, eyes flashing over in the other's direction, but Bakura seemed unfazed and simply stood there.

"What did Ms. Terca want with you anyway?"

"Doesn't matter," he whispered, putting his head down to rest on his arms. 

"Mr. Hodei was wondering where you were. History isn't the same without you in the room, you know? So I came here. Didn't know I'd find you," Bakura gave a shrug before sitting down by the other, carefully looking over him. "Now, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Yami…" Bakura nearly growled, "you _know _you can't pull that off with me, so why are you bothering?" he blinked when Yami's head fell onto his shoulder, the other shaking considerably. Bakura put an arm around his shoulders for support. "Just keep in mind that we'll both be in detention tomorrow for…skipping," Bakura informed, but knew that Yami simply didn't care. 

************************

"It's a masterpiece!"

"Jou, I hate you."

"Oh, come on, Seto! You just need to get into your project! Feel the clay slowly and then begin to shape it…" the blonde spoke passionately while Seto's eyes glared at him. He pouted a bit, almost crossing his arms, but quickly stopped himself and looked around the art room, photos and paintings - all done by students, covered the walls. He adjusted how he sat near his pottery wheel, dipping his hands into clay filled water and went back to shaping his vase, casting a look towards Seto. 

The brunette mumbled something darkly, staring at his so called "vase" with agitation. It seemed all _his _piece of work was just a lump of clay spinning on the machine's surface. "I'm only here because of you."

Jounouchi blinked at the comment, looking towards the other yet still paid attention to his work at the same time. "I thought you said you _wanted _to be here too though."

"I lied," Seto mumbled, prodding the drying clay with his thumb. "I hate this class."

"Well, you have to live with it," Jou stuck his tongue out at the other, mocking Seto. "Ms. Leanne isn't afraid to fail anyone, and that _includes_ you, pal," the blonde snickered.

"You've been officially deprived of any intimate contact with me for the rest of the day, _Katsuya_," the grim other muttered loud enough for Jounouchi to hear. 

"What?!" Jou almost ruined his whole project right then and there out of shock, "Seto! That's not fair!"

"Hn."

************************

"Tome hacia fuera sus libros de texto y haga las asignaciones en las páginas doscientos trece y catorce*," the Spanish teacher drawled on, too tired to do much teaching for the day. The sad thing was - it was only third period. …Sometimes she hated coming to school. Maybe she should have just stayed home. She stepped away from the front of the room, moving for her desk…waiting…_waiting_…someone would ask, it was just taking them a moment…

A hand shot up, the question not even lingering, "What page did you say, Mrs. Sanson?"

Of course. Always needed to repeat, always. It wouldn't be a Spanish class if she never had to repeat herself. "Doscientos trece y catorce."

"What page is that?" the same person whispered to his neighbor, who happened to be Malik. 

"Why don't you just pay attention?" Malik mumbled back, but gave the other an answer anyway, "she said pages 213 and 214."

"Thanks a bunch!" the boy went right to work. Malik just rolled his eyes.

"Hey, Ryou," Mahle bounced an eraser off the back off the silver haired boy's head to gain his attention, causing him to look behind him with annoyance pointed directly for her. She just shrugged it off. "Your brother called you 'impossible' during improv."

"And…? Does this really surprise you?" he chuckled a bit, "Please, Mahle, you're going to have to try harder if you want me to 'side' with you."

"Silencio, por favor!"

************************

"I'm sorry," Malik said hurriedly as he managed to catch up with Yami in the hallway after the bell rang.

"Excuse me?" Yami just growled in return.

"I never apologized yesterday…a…about my sister. She can be nice, really…sometimes anyway…I'm just, really sorry…We'll have to work on the project at your house…unless…that's a problem…?" when he mentioned about his sister he caught sight of Yami's shoulders tensing and blinked, but tried to show that he hadn't noticed. And when Yami finally met his gaze he shrunk back at the fire within them, threatening to almost destroy him.

"I don't need apologies from the likes of you, Ishtar. My place is _fine_, now scamper off. I'd rather _not _socialize with the school rats - I could become poisoned," he bit out, adding a twist of drama to the last part. Malik's gaze hardened. 

"How the hell could I have been paired with you?! Can't you ever just hold _some _respect to people? No, I don't suppose you can. We're just specks to your superiority," Malik growled and started to turn away, but was jerked back as Yami grabbed his arm roughly and spun him around so his back hit a wall. Fear now danced through the lavender pupils. Yami was shaking, _with rage towards me, most likely…_was the thought crossing through Malik's mind.

"Don't you dare try to tell me about how _I _see things! Sure, you are just a speck - but that's because you make yourself into one the minute your enter _my _school. I don't make anyone into anything, they create themselves and they become their creation - it isn't my damn fault if you _mistakenly _became the new school's rat, so get the hell away from me right now, abomination!" Yami shouted viciously at the other but his body hadn't been shaking in rage…it was hard enough to have left the bathroom to get to his next class as it was…and then _he _had to show up and reopen his wounds. No, he was in no mood to deal with this! And he wouldn't…he just had to make the other more afraid than ever and through words and perhaps violence - he would be able to hide in the back of his mind for the rest of the day.

"R-Right…" Malik somehow managed to speak, sliding across the wall and side-stepping away from Yami, holding his backpack for a sense of security. Yami watched him like a hawk until he finally tore away, running down the hallway as if escaping a predator that was playing a deadly game of tag.

And Malik felt like the small rodent…running from the cheetah which mocked his every pathetic attempt.

************************

"You're late. Sit down, _now_." 

Malik gave a weak, but quick nod as he entered the room, head then hanging low as he went in search of a seat.

"Your name?"

The hard voice of the teacher startled him once again and he struggled with his response, fumbling over the letters, "M-Malik….Ish…tar…"

"Well, if it isn't the runt," a voice chided darkly and Malik felt a strap of his bag being pulled and he was forced into a seat, his eyes looking at his tormenter - Jounouchi Katsuya. _Great, more trouble for me to get myself into…_ Malik gave a sigh, his eyes scanning the room…well…it _was _his writing class…but no one seemed to be doing any…writing.

Jounouchi was already in a bad mood from Seto's earlier declaration of Jou's depravation…but now Malik was here…and he could simply take out some of his extra energy on the new kid. "Hey, Yoshima, this is the kid I was tellin' you about. The one who tried t'beat me up," Jou tapped the person with the desk besides him, the room's desks being set up in a large square, a smaller one in the center. Yet it was a small class.

Almost to be what Jou would consider an older looking and more snake like version of Mokuba, Yoshima's eyes darkened and snapped to look over at Malik. "Him? You're joking with me, Katsuya. He's too scrawny looking - couldn't possibly hurt a fly no matter how hard he tried."

"Hey, hey! I said he _tried _to beat me up, he didn't succeed!" Jou stood up for a moment as he waved an arm wildly in Malik's direction, "But he didn't lay a finger on me!" the teacher looked over in his direction and Jou quickly planted himself back into his chair. 

"Only because your boyfriend stepped in to defend your pathetic soul," Malik spoke clearly, biting his tongue afterwards. _I can never learn…can I?_

"Why you good for nothing -" again Jou was out of his seat, but this time he meant business and no teacher was going to stop him, but Malik had hoped when Mr. Wistei did speak up that it would be in his defense…But then again, he was Malik Ishtar - the boy who no one cared to defend.

"Katsuya! Don't you even lay a fist on that boy in my classroom! I will not tolerate violence in here!" his voice bellowed before more quietly, he added, "take it outside."

"Wait a second -" Malik began as he saw Yoshima stand now as well. Some of the class sent glances towards them, but many simply slept.

"What's wrong now? You said the only reason you didn't lay a scratch on me was because my boyfriend stepped in. But see, he's not here now, is he?" Jou snickered, reaching down to start to pull Malik up, but the boy broke away and got up on his own, taking his bag with him. Jounouchi gave him a false smile, "So of course you can hurt me just _so _much."

"Of course," Malik growled, following the Katsuya boy out of the room, Yoshima behind him.

This…was going to be bad.

************************

"Oh no…" Merle looked up from her flute to catch a glance out the window. The band teacher was in the back of the room trying to get the drummers to play the right piece, leaving the rest of the class in boredom or to practice. Most chose the boredom. 

"What is it?" Yuugi leant forward from where he sat behind her with his clarinet, raising a brow as she signaled out the window. "Hey, it's Jou…"

"Yeah, with Malik…"

"So?"

"It's…nothing, I guess. Just a bad feeling, that's all," the freshman girl sighed, watching out until they left her viewing range. _Please don't do anything Jounouchi…please…please…_ she thought desperately, quickly shaking her head and looking at her sheet music for the song Imperium. No matter how much she thought about it, she knew something would still happen to Malik anyway.

************************

"Down already, runt? Only took three hits and you're down there trembling? And how many have you landed on me?" Jou smirked when the boy didn't respond, only proceeded in trying to clean the blood from his arm.

"I believe he hasn't gotten a single one, Katsuya," Yoshima answered for Malik, crossing his arms and watching from not too far away. 

"Right! Not a single one! Come on your cocky brat, get on your feet and _fight _me!" Jou yelled, waiting as Malik got halfway into standing again before kicking him forcefully onto his back. "Go home already why don't'cha? You don't belong in this school - so long as Yami and Bakura have their charge!" Ah, Jounouchi was right about this - it was a perfect way to waste all his access energy! Their teacher had a point not to fight in the classroom with how the pavement was stained…just think if it had been the carpet! Mr. Wistei would have had a fit and most likely fail them.

__

Why can't I…why can't…I… Malik's vision blurred when he tried to move for the blonde, managing to strike him in the chest and finally get his chance to beat down on the mutt…but no one played fair in these fights… Yoshima pulled him back and grabbed his wrists, holding the struggling Malik steady. _No, no, no, no…this isn't fair! Why the bloody hell do I have to be here?! Why?! It's all my sister's fault! If only Mariku were here…why can't he be…? Why…this…isn't…fair…_

"You see, runt? You can't beat me, can't hurt a fly - just remember that. Keep it fresh in your mind," Jou scuffed his feet against the ground. His energy was wearing. He wanted to go to lunch already. "Hn, don't worry about it…we'll drop ya off at the nurse."

"_Thanks_," Malik spat weakly, angered.

"Oh, don't thank me yet…I still have some energy left in me and…" he glanced at his watch, "…a bit longer until lunch. So…" 

Yoshima chuckled slowly.

************************

"Hey! You! Come on already, we have a project to work on!" Yami yelled at Malik's back, walking the other walk in the direction of his own apartment. Yami for the most part regained control of himself fro the second half of the day, keeping his cool and settling his exterior mask back into place. This, however, did not mean he would not become annoyed when he was ignored. "Pay attention, Ishtar, I said we have a project to work on! And as I'm not allowed back at your apartment or whatever - you're going the wrong way!"

Malik whipped around smoothly, silence falling around his body. His eyes were hollow, yet somehow swirled with defeat, arms bruised, the side of his face blackened. His stance seemed off, like he was forcing himself to remain even standing with his arms at his sides, hands shaking, backpack not with him. 

Yami was taken aback, to say the least of his thoughts.

"You know what?" came Malik's monotone voice at last. "I don't _care _about science. Therefore, I do not care for this project you speak of. So I will gladly fail it and you can fail too, if you wish."

"What…?" Yami blinked before straightened, hands clenching into fists, "I can't afford to fail! If I fail this, I fail that damn class and I _refuse _to have that happen and if that means I have to work with you to pass - than I have no other choice!" Yami growled, stepping forward. Malik took twice as many steps back.

"I told you, I don't care. I don't. I have no reason to," he slowly laughed; a dark, empty laugh. "What's the point of it? To get along in a meaningless life? But I don't want to. I don't…don't. I do not want to get by in life. Have fun on _your _fun, little project. I refuse to be apart of it. So…meaningless…everything…life…this school…" he laughed again, turning away and continuing on his way.

Yami stood there, his own voice from last year echoing into his mind, a scar again reopening: _"Leave me alone already! I give up, ok?! Are you happy now, Otogi?! Are you happy that you've made me miserable?! What more is there for you to do to me, anything, nothing?! It'll be nothing because I give up with this! It's funny…so funny…very, very funny…come on, Otogi, why are you staring at me like that? Just laugh! Embrace the amusement with me! The stupidity of people living this life on and on, trying to succeed and the failures being left in the garbage…ah yes…failing…I enjoy…failing. I. Give. Up."_

He shook his head to clear the memory, holding his arm where he knew right where a true scar hid beneath his jacket's sleeve. He took a breath before yelling towards the other, "I'll do it all on my own! But you will _not _get any credit for my work! You don't deserve it!"

"Good. I want to fail," Malik called back without turning. All he wanted was to get home and hide away in his room. The corner of it, one of the darkest parts - that's where he belonged. Hidden away where no one can toy with his soul and little by little tear him to shreds.

************************

"Hey, Yami."

"Hola, Yami."

The sophomore stepped into the house, eyes seeking out the bodies of the two voices, seeing his younger sibling, Yuugi, and his friend, Merle. He mumbled a brief hello to them, moving to sit at the kitchen table as he always did.

"I thought you and Malik were going to work on that weird science project of yours?" Yuugi blinked when he made certain that the other boy wasn't going to suddenly appear in the doorway.

"He went home," Yami growled. "Bastard. Refuses to help with the project."

"Is…is he ok…? You saw him, right? Please tell me he looked ok!" Merle jumped into the conversation worriedly, causing the two to glance at her.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Yami eyed her narrowly. He only briefly thought of the bruises he had seen on his science partner. _"They're nothing serious…r-really, Bakura…I'm…I'm fine…No! Please, don't say anything! They'll heal, I know they will…the skin and bruises will heal at least… Mentally? What do you mean will I 'heal mentally?' Of course I will! I told you I'll be fine, dammit! Now leave me the hell alone!" _Yami rubbed a hand against his temples. Heal mentally…he remembered Bakura asking him if he could one time…and he said yes. What a lie that was.

"…Well, I saw him outside during fourth period with Jounouchi and someone else…and I just had a bad feeling that they were going to do something to him…that's all…"

__

So it was Jounouchi who gave him those injuries… 

"…And he never showed at lunch…"

"Tsh…He got what he deserved," Yami muttered darkly, drawing lines on the table with his finger. He felt his brother staring at him and shook his head to himself. _I can't change who I am now, Yuugi. You'll just have to make do with it._

************************

"Malik?" Isis stepped into the apartment calmly, happily shutting the door as she had gotten out of work early for once. Most of the lights were off as she stepped past the living room and kitchen, noting a crack of her brother's bedroom door open. She rose a brow, tapping it open more slowly, hearing the hinges creak and looked around the dark room for Malik. "Malik?" she repeated.

"….What?" he whispered and her eyes followed the voice, seeing his body's outline sitting crouched in the corner nearest to the window. 

"Are you all right, brother?"

"No. Just leave me alone."

"Malik -"

"Leave me be, Isis," he sounded about ready to cry. "Leave me be and don't talk to me tomorrow either…I'm not going to school. I can't…I'm not…" he mumbled brokenly, scaring her almost. "I don't want to go back there." She closed the door and shook her head without a word, glancing towards the phone and then to the dining table where the letter Malik received yesterday from his brother still lay. 

Not forgotten. She was certain that it never could be forgotten…They say a picture was worth a thousand words, but that letter…not even half a page long…meant the world to Malik. Was it the only thing keeping him here in this place? _Shaadi must let him come here…or Malik won't be existing by the time he finally can make it…Rishid may be able to get Mariku here within a week of time… _She slowly strode towards the table, picking up the letter carefully and glancing towards Malik's room. "Please, my brother, hold onto your mind just a few more days…you can't cave in now…" she whispered to no one but the air. 

"I will get our other brother here."

************************

Um….no comment? *sweat drops* I'm seriously destroying characters' wills here…eheh…sorry? Not really. I did this in a single sitting…be happy! I just started to write…and it all flowed together…

I know Jounouchi was being horribly cruel to Malik, but he was using Malik as a venting tool. Wasting his time. The teachers are awful, the writing teacher especially for letting them go fight outside. There's really only really two good teachers, as in nice and respected and whatever: Ms. Terca (the Impov/Theatre studies teacher) and Mrs. Ridge (math teacher yet to be introduced). Everyone else is basically evil XD Not really…but they're the best two.

Oh, and translation of the Spanish: *Take out your text books and do the assignments on pages 213 and 214.

Ta-da. Updates soon? I have absolutely no idea. 


	4. Chapter Four

Yes…all must have pity for Malik…Doesn't mean I'll go easy on him. Well, maybe just this once.

Oh. A small note. Mariku gets a letter/received a letter in the start of this chapter from Isis. Now, with logical reasoning this would not be possible, as he received it in about a day or so from when it was sent. Why is this not possible? Isis is in Japan. Mariku is in Egypt. Now I'm just _assuming _that it would take just a _few _more days for the letter to travel. Therefore, logical reasoning really isn't used here right now. I apologize. And the plane ride is kinda…short. Crap -.- Meh…

This chapter is more…how do I say it…peaceful than the rest? I guess. It's almost too much that it feels choppy…damn.

Black-skull-dragon: ASAP? I tried my best o.o; This is up quicker than I normally would be on something, so I suppose that's a good plus.

Englasu: Yay You're reading something of mine, heh. I will make it all better.

Purple Rose: Mariku will turn things around, I promise.

Sugar-Goddess: Yeah, I was being mean now, wasn't I?

ThE KrAzY OnE: Yes, it was very hard actually.

"Without the mask where will you hide? Can't find yourself lost in your lie. I know the truth now, I know who you are."

-Everybody's Fool: _Evanescence_

* * *

Chapter Four: Savior

"Can't we just leave?"

"You _know _you can't put off your duties, Mariku…" a figure sighed, crossing his arms in thought. He glanced at the adolescent, noting the determined face on the darkly tanned face. "Mariku, please stop asking about this."

"Rishid! Isis said it's an emergency though! Read the letter!" the boy forced a piece of paper in his elder's hands, pointing down to a certain inked line, "see? You see it? Right, it says exactly 'Please send Mariku here as soon as you can, Malik seems to be becoming very…sick,'" the boy sighed, pale, spiked hair drooping in worry. "Please…"

The darker-skinned one sighed, shaking his head with a rising smile, "All right, all right. Let's go to Shaadi and see what we can do…"

"Can't we just leave?"

"Mariku!"

"What? I see no problem. If we ask him, he's just going to drag me away and force me to sleep with the camels again!" he glared as Rishid chuckled at his comment, "It's not funny! I _hate _camels!"

"Relax, child. I suppose just this once we can…escape, should I say?" Rishid nearly smirked, folding his arms behind the back of his robe innocently. "Or is breaking away a better term?"

"Anything is fine, let's just go." Mariku gave a brief cheer, running past his legal guardian. "Besides, I'm sure I can raise his spirits."

* * *

Mrs. Ridge scanned the room of her Geometry class, clipboard at hand as she marked off those present and those who were absent. Eyes of blue hid behind mostly long brown hair, though a few streaks of orange seemed to fall into the mix. Unlike many of the teachers in the school, she was fresh from college…and yet, some students swore she knew what was going around the school more than most teachers. Maybe the administration's zombie like nature didn't apply to her. 

"Hm…no Malik today? …That's a shame…we're starting cylinders too…" her lips uplifted in a smile when the class let out an altogether groan. "They won't be that bad, you might even like them."

Yami kept his arms crossed on his desk, head laid tiredly atop them. Somehow he did manage to keep a slight focus to the board as the teacher uncapped a marker and began to write for all to take notes. But he wasn't taking notes. His pupils scanned the room to see who was and slowly nodded to himself; Ryou was scribbling the words down, Honda was most likely doodling. And Seto and Jou? Never trust either of their notes. Seto's never made sense to him as there always seemed to be more on them and Jou's generally comprised of different kinds of food he could be having for lunch.

Sleep deprived. That's what he was. Last night he laid in bed for at least three hours trying to get to sleep, and finally around two o'clock he got up and went to work on that science project. _That stupid project…_no matter what he tried - it wouldn't work. He couldn't get the damned car to move, and then he ran out of balloons, giving up for the night. Well, the morning. The rest of the few hours he had left until school were spent laying on the couch.

And yet here he was in Geometry - a class perfect for him to sleep in, and his body still had enough energy in it to keep him awake. _Dammit._

His eyes scouted over to the empty desk and he mumbled a dark slur of words, head tilting more to the side so his cheek was pressed against the sleeve of his jacket. The gaze blurred from the lack of sleep - or perhaps because he had yet to blink again, zoning out weakly. _He's not here_, the realization finally sunk in.

"Yami?"

"It's not my fault," he muttered in response, taking a minute or two to realize it was the teacher who spoke. He rose his head slightly to look at her, blinking to awake his awareness before slumping back against his chair, arms falling to his sides. "Sorry."

She gave him a quizzing look, sighing, "Just try to pay attention to the lesson?"

"Sure," though even as he answered, his mind was clicking off again. Honda stared back at him, noticing the crimson gaze shifting over to the empty seat again before slipping off to sleep.

* * *

"Come on, Yami…" Ryou mumbled as he pushed at the exhausted teen's back, trying to get him out of the classroom in one piece. Yami collapsed backwards, starting to crush Ryou until Honda grabbed his arms and pulled him to his feet again. "Why's he so depressed and tired…?" Ryou complained, catching his breath once the weight was off him, Honda having put one of Yami's arms around his neck to keep him steady. 

"I bet I know why."

"Eh?"

"It's because his new punching bag isn't here today. He needs someone to pick on, you know?"

"Yeah, that must be it…" Ryou sighed, blinking when Yami began to wake more and forced Honda away so he could stand on his own. _Of course Seto and Jounouchi had to run off to their classes. Could have at least helped a little bit. _"You ok now, Yami?"

"I'm fine," he hissed a bit, head falling back slightly before he forced himself to straighten up, gathering his composure to send a glare in Honda's direction, who in turn became surprised by the act. "Don't try figuring my emotions again," he bit out carefully, stumbling forward, "I'm going to improv…" That would wake him up.

"Does that mean I'm wrong about the punching bag bit?"

Ryou shrugged unknowingly.

* * *

"Mariku?" Rishid laid a soft knock to the door of the plane's bathroom. "What are you _doing _in there? People are starting to wonder," he glanced around at the seats of the plane. "And starting to become upset, mind you." 

"Pull of some of your dark, evil, security expressions and they'll leave you alone, you'll see."

"Mariku!"

"Shhh, not so loud, Rishid!"

"Come out already!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," the door opened and the boy poked his head out, arms wrapped around a black carry-on bag, stepping out fully and striding innocently back to his window seat. Rishid rolled his eyes, following and sitting by the other.

"What took so long…?"

"I was feeding Paku. I didn't want to do it so openly, people may freak out a bit."

"_Paku_? What, may I ask, is a 'Paku'…?" he cast the boy besides him a worried gaze as Mariku unzipped the bag in his lap.

"My new mongoose, of course," he smiled as a small head peeked out of the bag and then pulled back in. Mariku rose a brow at his guardian's shocked gaze. "What? When we were in the airport you said I could pick up anything that could possibly make Malik happier. And I found this guy sitting with a cage with this mongoose. Said she had all her shots already. So I bought her. I'm sure my brother will be pleased."

"Master Mariku!" Rishid tried to keep himself hushed from drawing any attention.

"I thought I finally got you away from the 'master' nonsense?" Mariku sighed, leaning on the armrest closest to the window and glanced out. "You worry too much, Rishid."

"…What were you feeding it?"

"Her. Not 'it.'"

"Excuse me then, what were you feeding _her_?"

Mariku's face pulled up into a smirk, "Just a mouse."

"Mariku!"

* * *

"It's good to have you boys in class today. We can't get enough of your minds here, and I'm sure you can't get tired of mine. So I'll be seeing both of you after school for skipping class." Third period began for Yami and Bakura with a lightly agitated history teacher, Mr. Hodei. Yami tossed the teacher a glare as he sat down at a desk between Bakura and Otogi. Honda, from elsewhere in the room, sent a single, hovering gaze in Yami's direction to make sure he was ok. The flicker of relief gave Yami notice that he must have been looking ok. 

I feel shitty, he thought to himself, scribbling his name into the corner of a piece of paper that Bakura offered him. It took him a moment before he blinked over to Bakura, "What's this for anyway?"

The silver haired gave a lopsided shrug, "You think I know? If you were paying any attention he told us to take a sheet out," Bakura signaled to the teacher sitting behind the desk in the front of the room. If Bakura didn't know better, he could have sworn Mr. Hodei was smirking at the two of them in particular.

"Pop quiz on the reading from last night."

"Reading?" Yami blinked before hitting his head onto the desktop. "Bloody hell…Otogi, what was the reading on?"

"…That's a good question. Damn! I knew I should have done that homework…"

Yami rolled his head towards the right again to glance over at Bakura. "Why isn't this bothering you?"

"What? The pop quiz?" Bakura blinked, then shrugged, "Can't stop the inevitable. Even if I did read or do whatever the so called homework was, I would fail anyway."

"Good point, you would."

"Ye - Hey!"

* * *

"…I can't believe you made it through security." 

"What do you mean, Rishid?" Mariku blinked innocently, looking behind them at the area where the carry-on items and whatnot are scanned. "You thought they'd stop me?"

"You have a mongoose in your bag, Mariku."

"So?"

"How did they _not _catch that…?" the man sighed, shaking his head as he stared up at the ceiling.

"They asked about it. I told them it was my treasured stuffed animal, Fefe."

"They _believed _that?"

"Yep!" the boy snickered, unzipping a part of the bag once he knew they were clear of trouble and Paku could easily pop her head out.

"And what about getting off the plane itself? The crew thought you had a bomb with you after all the time you were in the bathroom. Not to mention the smell of mongoose that seemed to be left behind afterwards," he rose a brow as the other started to laugh.

"_That _was classic, Rishid. I told them I wasn't used to planes, so I was a bit shaken in the bathroom. Said I missed and was polite enough to clean it up for them. And about the smell of mongoose, I told them they didn't know anything. Exclaimed with grave annoyance that it wasn't my fault I worked around camels all the time and it happened to smell up the bathroom, but it wasn't mongoose they smelled. It was camels. Stupid fools believed me. I can't think of how they were hired."

"You're something else, Master…"

"No 'Master' shit!" he growled back, eyes scanning around when a few people stopped to look at him. He snorted and adjusted the bag over his shoulder roughly, earning an irate sound from Paku. "Sorry," he muttered to her.

"She's awfully tamed…"

"Probably from the previous guy or something. He said he had her for a few years. Came from…Ethiopia," he thought carefully as they waited at the baggage claim for their one suitcase. Mostly of Rishid's items, as Mariku wanted to simply leave - not bother with packing. "There it is," Mariku's hand shot out to grab the handle of the black suitcase, heaving it off the moving platform and onto the ground. He released his hold to it for Rishid to take before glancing around. "So how exactly are we…traveling?"

"Great question. Let's find a payphone."

"Why?"

"To call Isis. Unless you plan on walking?"

Mariku gave his guardian a glare.

* * *

"I suppose you want me to pick you up?" Isis sighed, glancing around the small front office of the museum. At least it was quiet…or…more quiet than normally. She uneasily bit her lip. "I can't leave now, Rishid…I'm needed here…" 

"Excuse me, miss?"

She glanced to an old woman with what seemed to be two children, probably grandkids. "Where are the bathrooms?"

"Down the hall and to your left."

"Thank you greatly, miss," the woman shuffled off.

"Sorry, Rishid. What were you saying?" For Malik's benefit. Right. "I'll see what I can do, I'll try to get there shortly," she hung up the phone and stepped out of the office, stepping into the Egyptian section and offering a smile to an intern who had been working beneath Isis for awhile now. "Cody? How would you like to have an official job here?"

The boy turned around from cleaning the glass of one of the setups, an old necklace held within it that had been found in a tomb recently. "Are you serious?"

"Very."

"I'd love an actual job!"

"Great. You can 'officially' start now. I'm leaving you with an important task…watch over this section while I'm gone, or you're fired," her eyes danced with fire and the boy straightened, giving a wary nod a his response. She then smiled and turned away. _That was easy. Assuming everything is in one piece when I return…_ She hurriedly moved out of the building once she heard that one of the bathrooms was flooding.

* * *

"Say it again." 

"Thank you, Isis," Rishid and Mariku mumbled in unison. The guardian sat in the passenger seat of Isis's car whilst Mariku got comfortable in the middle of the back seats, Paku sniffing around outside of the bag, making a small peep once she found a penny on the floor. She went to bite into it when Mariku pulled her up onto a seat.

"You're _not _eating that," he muttered.

"How is Malik?" Rishid finally spoke up as they drove, ignoring whatever was occurring in the seats behind him.

"When I left this morning he wouldn't talk to me. Just stared at the wall. I didn't want to leave him…but I had to," she shook her head sadly, "I should really leave this job. Perhaps it would be better for all of us if I did."

"Don't do that, Isis, I'll make things better for Malik," Mariku smiled, managing to get Paku back into the bag. There wasn't much else in it except a blanket and a few books of his. …A very light packer. "Oh, hey, could you drop me off at the school?"

Both blinked back at him quizzing, but it was Rishid who spoke up, "Don't you want to see Malik first?"

"No. I mean…I want to figure out myself what is troubling him before I actually face him. Probably doesn't make much sense…but it does to me. Oh, by the way…what's the name of anyone closest to him, as in a bad way?"

Isis thought over to remember the boy that was at the apartment, "I believe Yami. Not sure of his last name, but I do remember him being rather rude…and smug…" Mariku mumbled darkly at this, but said nothing too loudly.

"I suppose then I can…pick you up some new clothes…" Rishid thought aloud, off in his own world, so to speak.

"What's wrong with my clothes?!"

"You look like an Indian, Mariku."

The boy glared darkly, "I do not!" he snapped, glancing down at his attire of pants made of a material like cotton and a loose fitting camel skin shirt. He crossed his arms and snorted, looking out the window as the car began to slow. His eyes fell onto the school, the area surrounding it seeming dead. _Like a prison of some sort_, he thought carefully. He slipped his bag back over his shoulder, making sure Paku was safely within it before opening the door and stepping out.

"Do they allow pets in school…?" Rishid's voice stopped him from moving and the boy shrugged, internally smirking.

"Of course, Rishid. Don't you know these things?" he closed the car door, starting towards the building so no one could stop him again.

Rishid turned a glance to a smiling Isis. "Do they allow pets?"

"No," she chuckled softly.

He looked more than appalled by her comment, "Then why didn't you say anything?"

"I'm not that old, Rishid. I am still allowed to keep myself amused."

* * *

"Wait! Stop, boy! You can't just go sneaking off late into the building!" 

Mariku faltered as a woman grabbed his arm just moment after he entered the building. He stared down at her, making a mental note that she looked like some sort of frog hermit. "It's not like I've been here before!" he snapped towards her as she positioned herself behind the main desk.

"Ah! New student, then?"

"I…guess…"

"Name?" she hummed, tapping a pen feverishly to the surface.

"Uh…Mariku Ishtar."

"Another Ishtar? Hm…let us get you a schedule…" she turned towards a computer, putting on a pair of reading glasses as she searched through class lists, finding random places to stick the boy into before printing off a sheet. She grabbed the paper and handed it to him. "Here, now get out. It's period six right now."

"Wait a second," he blinked, staring down at the paper. "Isn't Earth Science supposed to be a freshmen class?"

"Yes, yes, now go."

"But…I'm technically a sophomore…I guess…" he checked the rest of his classes to make sure they were all right, though was a bit confused with the Photography one.

"Who cares. _Leave_."

"But -"

"Get out of here or I'll lock you in a cage for a week straight!" she shouted and he backed away carefully, deciding that this woman could possibly do that to him. _No way am I risking it,_ he thought, running a bit down the hallway until he was clear from her vision.

"I don't want a schedule…" he muttered with a sigh, folding it up and putting it into a back pocket.

"Hey, Malik! So you actually decided to show up, hm? And with such a cute new hairstyle…"

Mariku growled when he felt someone come up behind him, hands toying with his hair. _Rude and sounds smug…that's what Isis said. I suppose THIS is Yami then…_

"What? The runt doesn't feel like speaking after the little beating I gave you? Aww…what a shame, artichoke head."

"Well then, Yami," Mariku started as he spun around, clenched fist going right into the figure's gut, forcing him to the ground. His bag twisted around slightly from the movements and Paku chirped in disapproval, twisting from the bag to move out atop it. Mariku stepped over and glared down narrowly at the figure. "That one was for my brother."

"Did…you just call me…Yami…?" the boy on the ground gasped, clenching an arm around his stomach.

"Yes. That is your name, isn't it?"

"You've gone mad, runt. Seriously mad," he stood with a grunt and signaled with both hands to himself, "Katsuya Jounouchi, remember?" there was a pause and then, "Wait, what about a brother? You _are _Malik, right?"

"Wrong," Mariku smirked as Paku climbed up onto his shoulder, making a jeering sound towards Jounouchi. He watched the other shift uncomfortably at the sight of the mongoose. "My name is Mariku," he held a hand out to the other. Jou went to shake it and he quickly pulled away, tilting his head to the side, "Paku, go introduce yourself."

The mongoose jumped down and Jou yelped loudly, stepping back quickly, but the animal was already biting into his leg. It was a short motion, quick and over with enough that she had jumped back into the bag. "Now that we've all been acquainted, why not show me to Yami, hm, Katsuya?"

The blonde rubbed his leg, unbelievably shaking his head at this boy, so much different than Malik in his perspective. Insane was the fitting word.

"Well?"

"Eh…Yeah…I'll show you to Yami…" Jou muttered, walking around the other in a wide arc before moving towards the stairs. "He's…in science right now…"

"And where are _you _supposed to be?"

"…History," he muttered inaudibly. Mariku was overjoyed; he had successfully shaken one of his brother's tormenters. And he gained a guide in the process.

* * *

"When I come around to you and your partner, show me what you have done on your projects," Mrs. Mikoto informed the split up class. Desks were broken up for the different partnerships, everyone working efficiently. Everyone except Yami. _Fuck this class to hell_, he spat darkly in his mind, staring at the single sheet of paper on his desk that represented his current work on the project. It held a table of all the different failing car designs and the trials of distances that each balloon powered car went. _This is hopeless_, he sighed, hand clenching the desk angrily as he restrained himself from tearing up the paper. 

He raised his eyes slightly when he saw Jounouchi stumble nervously into the room, waving to get the teacher's attention. "Eh, can I have a word with Yami for a bit?"

Mrs. Mikoto's attention shifted between the two boys, taking in Yami's confused expression and then Jou's uneasy nature. "Fine."

Yami stood slowly and walked to the doorway, immediately asked Jou what was going on. "Well, see, uh, this…guy wants to talk to you…" he muttered as they stepped outside. Mariku was leaning against the opposing wall of the hall, eyes darkening as they absorbed Yami's appearance. "He's insane, I'll tell you. Be careful. I'd stay around but…eh…he freaks me out…" Jou bolted immediately when the shadowy lavender eyes fell on him.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Yami scoffed, collecting himself and crossing his arms.

"That doesn't matter at the moment," Mariku pushed away from the wall and started to stalk towards the shorter other. "What in Ra's name did you do to my brother?!"

"…Excuse me?" Yami blinked, surprised.

"My brother, Malik Ishtar. Perhaps you haven't noticed that he is not here today, and I'm assuming _you_ had something to do with it," a growling surrounded him and Yami took a step backwards into the hallway, away from the classroom. But he noticed the growl was from the mongoose whom once again seated itself curved around Mariku's neck and on his shoulder. "You should really start praying for your life right about now…"

Yami's awareness flashed back to the image of the letter he had grabbed back at Malik's apartment. Realization flickered across his expression. "You're the older brother," he muttered and watched a smirk uplift across the other's face.

"That's right. And I'll have you know my younger brother is hiding in his room right now, refusing to talk to anyone except the darkness within it," his body came close to Yami's, enough so he could guide it into a wall, his arms coming up and palm pressing against the lockers lining that very wall. His other arm came up and did the same, trapping Yami in a tight spot. Paku's muzzle uplifted in disgust and she growled lightly again.

Shit, the one word crossed through Yami's consciousness. He managed to keep an unreadable appearance, eyes hollowing to block his emotions from showing through.

"You better start talking," his body was tensing as his face contorted darkly, "Or I'll be killing you right here. This is your only warning."

* * *

See! It was pretty light! …Until the end XD Yami's kinda screwed where he is right now, hm? Well, he should have seen it coming. Couldn't stay safe forever. Ah…but see…though things may perhaps start looking up for Malik, Yami is still breaking - even though he's trying to keep to all he's built up for himself. But how long until he has another break down? How long until he fully snaps? Hmmm? None of you know! Bwaha! Actually…I don't really know either… 

Crap. I should have edited this. mutters Spelling may be off…please inform me if you see anything.

Oh, this is in my bio now too…but I'm putting it here as well…See, I made a livejournal account that I would put snippets/updates/whatnot of my work on it. Some of it is good to see that I am alive on some stories XD I post snippets a lot…lol… So if you want an easy way to find out what I'm up to/working on (sometimes pieces of stories that aren't even posted yet) then check it out.

Damn this quickedit crap! -curses- Just to go to livejournal itself and look up the member 'spiritofallia'. -sigh- FFN can be so bothersome...


	5. Chapter Five

I'm alive! Really, I swear! -sigh- I have heard from a friend that Xing has decided that he does not like stories that have 'answers to reviews' in them. -mumbles- Well fine then, I won't. I just wonder what he's going to take away next. Oi. Damn it all.

You know, this story has a slow flow to it. But the slow flow _fits _it in my opinion. I don't know why, but if I were to "pick it up" a bit, that would break the balance of it all. Oh well, lol.

But seriously, now that I've gotten back into the flow of school and volleyball, I should be able to write more…I was writing over the summer, but that was original works. Ha, well. Let's see what I can do here…not sure if I really liked this chapter or not. Hm…

"I stand alone, I'm on my own, my hands will bleed. I'm holding on to what is gone, what's left of me."

--Falling Down: _Story of the Year_

* * *

Chapter Five: Errors

"Are you afraid?" Mariku licked his lips, any innocence that he may have had earlier drained away.

"No," Yami snorted.

"Really?" he chuckled in response, "You're lying. I can smell fear from your small body. Now, speak up and tell me what you did to Malik."

"I did nothing," Yami spoke out clearly. He could sense the other's anger and quickly added, "Nothing that would have caused him to stay home, at least. I heard a rumor that someone had beat him yesterday, but I'm not sure who."

The right arm pulled back and his hand clenched Yami's shirt collar roughly, "Fine then. But if I find out you had anything to do with it, we'll find out how far your neck can stretch when it's twisted," he sneered, tossing Yami to the side and stepping away.

Yami cringed, hand quickly going out to the lockers, holding himself up from falling. His eyes swiveled around to glare at Mariku, "You know, there's a student hierarchy here."

"Oh, really?" Mariku chided, facing Yami again, "And I suppose you want me to believe that you're at the top of it, hm?" the determined look the other held was his answer. "Makes one wonder how a weakling like yourself managed that," he snickered, but his nature was calming enough for him to seem more normal, for him anyway. Seriousness took control now, "How long can you hold that position before someone realizes they can easily overthrow you?"

He clenched a fist at his side, his current stance accomplishing one thing: to hide the fact that he was shaking. "No one ever will," he snapped. "Myself and Bakura will lead this school as always, no one can overthrow us. They don't have that kind of power."

"Stop fooling yourself."

* * *

He's fooling himself, Yami thought darkly as he sat back in the room. He glared around at everyone, hands folded before his face. No one was going to take his position; he _refused _to be forced down to the bottom of the food chain again. His gaze shifted when he felt someone watching him (other than the teacher at least) and saw Bakura wearily staring. He tried to reassure the other with a smile, but failed.

Yami watched an exchange of speaking between Ryou and Bakura before one of them got up from his seat and came over, stealing a chair from an empty desk and pulling it over, leaning against the backing towards him. "What happened?" Bakura's voice sounded more demanding than actually helpful questioning. Yami figured it was because he's gotten tired of seeing him like this.

"Nothing," Yami murmured, staring at the desk top with a sigh.

"Come on, Yami, _stop _doing _this _to me."

"What are you talking about? I'm not doing anything."

Bakura's hands dug into the desk as he stood up, "Why the hell are you so depressed?!" He blinked when Yami glared darkly at him, having not meant to…shout so loud. He mumbled an apology towards the teacher and sat back down. Yami continued to glare at him. "_What_?"

"I think you offer _me _an apology as well."

"I don't think so, Yami," Bakura hissed warningly. "I have nothing to apologize to you about. You're the one that has yet to answer me on what the hell is wrong with you. Wrong…let's see, now and from before. Which somehow you got away with…not this time, Yami."

"I'm sorry, would you like me to write you a book on my life?"

"If that would get me answers, then yes! But I think telling me would be qu -"

"Stop it!" Ryou was suddenly standing across from Bakura, speaking light enough for the bickering two to hear. "Everyone is _watching_, you two are acting like a married couple! I'm telling you this for your own good…unless you like the attention…" he trailed off, fidgeting when the pair _both _turned glares onto him. "Fine. Bicker later though; Bakura, we have a science project to be working on."

Bakura's anger subsided and he clung to Yami quickly, hiding his head behind his arm as he whined, "Ryyyoou…I'm _tired _of working on that project! Can't I have a break? Please? Pretty please? Come on…I'm _stressed_, Ryou! You've worked me too hard! I can't go on!" he made a choking sound before shifting his chair just enough so he could collapse across Yami's lap.

Mrs. Mikoto stared slightly from talking with Honda, raising a brow, "Ryou, does your brother need the nurse?"

Ryou resisted from throwing his arms into the air and simply made a sound of annoyance, turning away and moving back for his desk. _Stubborn idiot._

Bakura chuckled and smiled as his brother moved away. "Thanks, Yami."

But the other was still peeved at Bakura's prodding actions and angrily pushed him from his lap and onto the floor. Bakura groaned painfully and curled against one of the desk's legs, "I think I need a nurse now, Mrs. Mikoto."

Yami crossed his feet over Bakura's body with a smirk, using him as a foot rest.

"He's lying, he's just trying to get out of class. He's fine," Yami chuckled and glanced down at his work. Sure the small moment of humor did lighten him up, but not nearly enough. He was worried later that Bakura would come prodding again. How could he give a response? He wasn't really sure what was making him upset…

* * *

Luckily the seventh period of the day left Yami and Bakura in separate places, though when they were leaving the room Bakura tried to inform Yami that they'd talk again. It was a little bit hard to even tell him that, as Yami slid out of the classroom along the wall and Bakura as swept into the rest of the leaving students.

What Yami had failed to realize while stepping into his Spanish I classroom, was that the Ishtar he had met earlier was in the same room. Yami stumbled against the doorway and stared around, taking notice that the teacher wasn't there and quickly turned to leave.

"Going somewhere so soon, Yami?"

He froze and turned his head enough to gaze over his shoulder, staring right at Mariku. "I could be nice and tell…" he stared down at his schedule, "Mr. Aiher that you had to go to the nurse, but I'd much rather say that you tried to skip his class."

"Who's skipping?"

"No one!" Yami said quickly as the teacher entered the room and moved by him. He cursed softly, turning back inside and moving to sit in the back besides Honda. He hit his head on the desktop's surface and mumbled something incoherently. Honda whispered something to him and he nodded in agreement, raising his hand while his hand rested on the desk still, "Mr. Aiher, can I go to the nurse?"

"Are you all right…?"

"No, not at all. I feel like I'm going to die."

"Fine, fine, go now. Make sure to call someone for the homework."

* * *

It was a rare thing for Yami to leave school entirely. He debated on Honda's plan of actually going to the nurse and being sent home, but that required him to go through his mother…and Yami really was not in the mood to do that. Besides…he had somewhere in mind to go. _She's working…she won't be home…_

Yami stared carefully at a door to an apartment, dropping his bag to the ground and reaching his hand up to knock, before deciding against the method and went to try the doorknob. With a smile, he laughed softly and opened it, stepping inside and closing it behind. _"I'll have you know my younger brother is hiding in his room right now, refusing to talk to anyone except the darkness within it" _Yami remembered Mariku's words and took them to heart, edging carefully into the apartment and into a corridor, staring to the side at a mostly closed door. He poked at it and it creaked, causing him to side and fully push it open. _It really is dark in here…_

"Malik," Yami called out, stepping in. "Get up." He jumped back, startled when a pair of hollow eyes rose to meet his gaze. "What the… I didn't do this to you!" he suddenly snapped out, fists clenched.

"Of course not, you're just the head of the problem. Katsuya did this to me," Malik chuckled softly, arms shifting to pull his legs in closer. "Did you miss picking on me so much that you had to come here?"

Yami's eyes narrowed in warning. _"And I suppose you want me to believe that you're at the top of it, hm?" _He took a slow step forward, crossing his arms idly. "People like you and your brother sicken me. Always the ones to get in everyone's way and mess up _everything_!" Yami yelled, now not too far from the boy's amused body.

But Malik flinched at the mention of his brother, "What are you talking about…?"

"Huh?" Yami blinked, thinking over his words, "N-Nothing…" Why had he come here? Was he getting this sloppy? He turned away quickly. _"How long can you hold that position before someone realizes they can easily overthrow you?" _It was all Malik's fault, he decided. This new kid was trying to mess up everything he had grown to achieve and push him down. He wanted to rule…that had to be it! …But the boy just seemed to want to live…just like…_No, dammit! No…_ Yami growled quietly and moved for the door.

"You act like no one can see your struggle."

Yami paused, hand tightening on the doorframe. He wanted to get out of here. Now. And not just out of here…perhaps he could transfer schools…and start all over. _Remember the last time you did that_, his mind reminded him darkly. The hand on the doorframe was growing white now from grasping so stiffly.

"I'm sure many of the students can see you as a weakling. They just don't do anything because they're scared of psychotic, demonic Bakura. It's not you they're scared of."

"Shut up!" Yami yelled, glaring at the other sharply, face distorting wildly to show his uncontrolled anger.

"My sister is home. I heard her car. She hates you, remember. Just like I do."

Malik's voice was horrifying to hear. It wasn't soft, or quiet, or shy. It was dark and deadly, like someone who had finally snapped. Like Yami had… he shook his head quickly. If Malik had a gun right now, he could easily play the part of a homicidal man.

"But you can get out the back," Malik hummed softly, face revealing nothing. "I don't want her to kill you. It's fun to watch others suffer sometimes, but I'm not in the mood today."

Yami thought of saying something else, but changed his mind and took off into the hallway and to the back of the apartment to find his way out.

* * *

Otogi Ryuuji sat at a table in the cafeteria where his study had so lovingly been changed to be in. He calmly tossed a pair of dice into the air and caught them again. His feet rested casually on the table, leaning his chair back on the two back legs. The study hall teacher ignored him, and actually, Otogi couldn't even see the teacher anymore. …Probably left the café after he took attendance. But it's not like that bothered him at all, he had his dice and a plate of French Fries that he bought from the food line. That was what he liked about café study…he got a second lunch.

Seto walked by his table, informing that he was going to escape off into the room where Jounouchi's study was stuck in. What a shame it wasn't here…but that only figures. He passed a smug seeming figure on the way out and tossed a slight look of disgust towards the figure, but was brushed by still.

The figure crossed his arms behind his head, glancing around the quiet area. There was a fair amount of students around, a normal class size, but they were all spread out through the area. Only one person sat alone, and the figure decided to sit there instead.

"I'm sorry, I don't sit with anyone outside the hierarchy," Otogi muttered, catching the dice again.

"Hn? Well, that's depressing. Not even someone who's skipping a class?"

"I suppose I could pay _some _attention to you with that. What class?"

"Spanish I," Mariku smirked, placing his bag onto the table as he sat down. The bag itself seemed to shift before a head poked from the opening and a nose twitched. Paku slipped out of the bag after enjoying her long nap, making her way onto the table's surface. She made her way to the plate of food and stole a fry from it, nibbling happily.

"What the…" Otogi blinked, staring at the creature.

Mariku leant back with a smile. "So you're a part of the hierarchy, is that right?"

"Mmm.."

"You must be below that Yami fellow then."

"You could say that."

"You don't seem that happy."

Otogi shrugged.

Mariku's smile grew. He might be able to have a bit of fun now… "You seem like someone more…suited for the top."

"I used to be," Otogi glared as Paku stole another French Fry. This conversation was starting to get on his nerves. He didn't enjoy being reminded that he was a lower "rank" than Yami. He didn't _need _to be reminded of that sort of thing.

When the dice were tossed again, Mariku's hand shot out and grabbed them. He smirked at Otogi's dark expression. Mariku only shrugged and laughed, leaning back again to examine the dice. "Do you like games?" Mariku questioned oddly.

"I suppose," Otogi muttered.

"I have one then. You may even like it. Would you like to hear it?"

"Fine."

Good, good… "It's called 'Flip, Target, Destroy.' Basically you flip, or change positions with someone without their knowledge. You keep them targeted and then simply when you have the chance…destroy them from the position that you had gained from the start. I suppose I could really just call the game 'Target and Destroy' …but I like the word 'flip.' So what do you think?"

"What are you getting at?"

"I'm giving you the chance to be on top again," Mariku whispered.

Otogi's gaze sparkled with interest, but at the bell's ring he shook his head, "Your game wouldn't work. There's Bakura to think about."

"Then you just can't let Bakura realize. If you get caught before you can _destroy_, then you lose the game, understand?"

"Yeah. I understand," Otogi chuckled, suddenly liking this other student. He did look familiar…but that wasn't anything to worry about now. He liked the sound of this game. And he wanted to play it. Yami…didn't belong on the top. He did…he always had.

* * *

Sorry if that made no sense at all, lol. Mariku is making trouble again.

Donno when I'll update this…took four months for this chapter…but I can't promise the next one will be up sooner than this. Wish I had made it longer…but that just seemed like a nice place to stop.


	6. Chapter Six

No, I am not dead. Shut up and give an authoress a break. I have a history of taking forever to finish anything. And it doesn't help that I don't do much with fan fiction anymore _anyway_. Also bad that I kinda lost some of my plot…and even worse, I lost a bit of my writing style.

Watch FFN butcher this. The last time I posted something, FFN destroyed it. Yeah, I was pretty pissed about that. Whatever. I really don't care so much anymore. If you look at my bio, you can understand my full annoyance.

Oh, and by the way, technically everything I've written if breaking the TOS because I have copy and pasted lyrics in my writing. Oops, sorry, I do like my opening quotes. Cualquier

**

* * *

Chapter Six**

"I fall like the sands of time, like some broken rhyme, at feet no longer there." --No Reply: _Cowboy Bebop_

* * *

"What did you do!"

Otogi only looked up from his lunch with a small smile, a twinkle of amusement shining in his eyes. He gave no answer to the angered fellow before him and merely leaned back. He ignored the yell of a teacher from across the cafeteria to sit his chair down on all four legs.

Hands came forth and slammed down on the table. "What the _Hell _have you been doing!"

"Is something wrong?" Otogi asked innocently. Two seconds later an arm flung his lunch tray off his table. His smile turned into a smirk. "Why are you looking at me like that, Bakura?"

"Where's Yami?" the light-haired figure forced out through clenched teeth.

"How should I know that?"

"Otogi, what the fuck are you up to!" Bakura was back to yelling.

Otogi didn't seem to care. He only leaned forward, arms folding on the table where his lunch tray used to be and smiled casually up at the other. His voice was so calm, his attitude like liquid. "Kings don't enjoy falling, you see. And when they fall, they get angry. And when they get angry, they like to rebel."

Bakura's eyes widened, scared suddenly. "…What did you do? Where is he?"

"I don't know. That isn't _my _problem. All that matters is that I won, you see? I'm the new superior one. Again. You run under me now."

"This school is run equally," he started now just scrambling to hold his position. He could find Yami later, hopefully. He knew it had been odd to see the Ishtars -- yes, both of them -- gliding through the hallways a bit overly confident and then less and less of Yami being around. He should have caught on more quickly. He should have seen something wrong sooner. But Malik still looked like Hell…problem was, Yami did too.

"Not anymore, Bakura," Otogi stood up, leaning to one side. The cafeteria began to empty. People passed by the table in a flooding to get to their next classes. "I'm on the top of it all. I'm the top-cat, the head honcho, get it? Why don't you start your lower duties by making my crown?" he laughed and entered the river of students, started to be swept away when Bakura's hand flew out and clutched his wrist tightly. "Oh, please don't protest. I'll only sick Mariku on you." His eyes were warning and Bakura let him go and Otogi was gone.

He stood there; the only student remaining in the cafeteria. "…Mariku?"

* * *

Bakura grabbed Malik and dragged him away from their science class and towards a stairwell. He waited in silence until the halls had settled down before rounded on the boy. "This is all _your _fault. You just had to go sic your brother on him, didn't you?" voice was hushed, but still bitter.

Malik stared at a wall. "It wasn't me. I wasn't apart of anything."

But he wasn't believed. "Do you _know _how things will be with Otogi 'in charge' again? Do you even realize how you just came in and shattered a system! Sure, it was all Otogi who developed the system, him and all those on his side. Maybe even what _was _my side. You just made yourself worse off! Do you even _know that_! You had it easy! _Easy_! Easier than _he _ever had it -- especially when Otogi was in charge! Now if we find you splattered against a wall with blood coming from your head, it won't be a surprise, because that's god damned what has happened before to him!"

Malik shrunk back even more, almost tripping back on the stairs and he changed route quickly against a wall. "I never said anything to Mariku. I don't know why anything happened," he whispered, eyes trembling as thoughts rushed through his head. Bakura gave him more information than he should have, more than he probably even wanted to. "Why not break the system entirely? Why not let the teachers run the school like they should…?"

"Look, Desert-Boy, those sort of ideas never worked. The teachers ruled and chaos broke out more often, because all they did when it happened was give a detention. That was _it_. Things kept happening. But maybe the school never _was _run by them, because Otogi was always here, and we started to always do as Otogi said -- it was how things worked. Anyone who moved into this town, to this school, had it hard. But only for a certain time."

"Somehow I don't believe that," he was calming down. Bakura just seemed plain angry, but less at him. He didn't show any motives to thrash out at Malik.

"You're 'certain time' has hardly matched up to anyone's from the past. Don't think a few weeks or whatever are enough to clear your record."

"What's the record…?"

"_A year_," Bakura growled.

Malik backed further into the wall. Was he going to hold a new record? He wanted to run from this place quickly if that was going to be true. But Bakura wasn't done yet. He wanted to keep talking. "And the person holding that record is Yami." Malik stared at him. "That's right. _Yami_. It took him a year, you see, for him to create a whole new persona -- he got lost behind its mask -- and fought through Otogi. Could say he 'edited' the hierarchy at that point. It was always a real mess though."

"Are you done, Bakura?"

The dead-panned voice made the two straighten. Bakura turned around, Malik had been so focused on the other talking that he never noticed Yami standing at the top of the stairs. He walked down slowly and stood a bit off to the side near the two, eyes weary and heavy. He looked so tired. So weak.

"…Y-Yami…?" Bakura's eyes widened with worry. "What'd he do to you…?"

Yami smirked, but it wasn't even fooling himself. His body was thinner than it used to be; he was more of a stick than Malik was. "There was a revolt. The former ruler made an uprising," the words came out nonchalantly. He glanced towards Malik. "Enjoy the little story time of Bakura's?"

"Uh…well…" he trailed off, not entirely sure how to respond.

Yami approached him, closely, strands of hair drooping down over his face and blowing out to touch Malik's cheek as he spoke. "You won't be stupid and make a mask now, will you?" he was complete zombie like; hardly even blinked. "Those who oppose it will only work harder to break it. And they can. They will. There's always a flaw even in those seemingly perfect, little masks…"

"Yami, I think you're really freaking him out."

His head rolled along his shoulders, looking back at Bakura. "At least I'm not beating him."

"Yes, at least there's that…" Bakura sighed, then added more to himself, "I doubt you would at this point."

"You see," Yami trapped Malik, hands against the wall and arms boxing him in. "Wherever you turn there will always be a vulture, waiting for one little stumble, and then sweeping in closer, catching its prey off guard, and finally watching it fall and scavenge at whatever is left. These vultures will pick apart a body: alive or dead. And they do it for fun, not to protect themselves. Not at all."

"Ok, Yami, now you're just scaring _me_…" Bakura reached out to try and touch the other's shoulder, to try and move him away from Malik, but Yami recoiled towards the wall, one of his arms pushing into Malik's chest. His eyes were wild, animal like. Bakura's hand pulled quickly back and Yami sunk to the floor, head falling into his arms.

The motion was so quick that it seemed as though he had practiced it enough, recently at that. Malik glanced down and stepped away, not enough to be incredibly noticeable, but just enough to keep him away from the broken body.

What wasn't on Malik's agenda was Yami sliding against the wall and against Malik's legs. He stilled and looked towards Bakura for help. When receiving none, he only sighed and stared at the floor. "This is my brother's and my fault, isn't it?"

"I personally want to straight out yell _yes_, but something else in my mind is telling me that'd be kind of wrong. I suppose the blame could be placed on anyone, but it was inevitable that this would happen." He shook his head. They needed to move soon; sixth period would be over and he couldn't have _both _Yami and Malik in the halls. He almost found himself naturally defending Malik now with Yami's false persona knocked down. "Yami?"

The head nodded slightly to show life in it.

"Where have you been for the past few weeks…?"

"Couldn't go home, was being watched," the jumbled words responded. "Hid around Merle's often. Couldn't be found there."

"Um…that's just great then. We have to move, Yami… Can you get up?" Bakura's eyes darted around, trying to find a clock.

"Sure I can," the other mumbled, pushing up from the floor. For a moment Bakura actually thought that Yami could stand, but his eyes widened when his friend tipped forward, and instinctively moved his arms out. …Only Malik caught the falling body before Bakura was even close.

"I got him," Malik insisted firmly. "If we can get him outside we should be set. "I'd like to find my brother too."

"And we have to avoid Otogi if possible. I'm sure he'd just love to find Yami at the moment…" Bakura sighed.

"He's in study hall seventh period, same as me."

"Then we'll take this stairwell." Bakura was already on the move when the bell rang. He waited at the bottom of the stairs as Malik tried to get Yami's body to move…even just a little. Yami seemed barely conscious though. Bakura wondered when the last time the other actually ate was.

"My brother technically has Spanish class. He'll probably be late anyway, so I can catch him there," Malik explained. He dragged Yami passed Bakura and they continued on. But Malik's footsteps paused and he looked up at Bakura. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Yeah, I got that. Can't change any of that now though…"

Malik nodded and pulled Yami's frail form closer to him as he carried him down the hall.

* * *

"Well, if it isn't the fallen ruler…" Bakura and Malik froze at the voice. Bakura instinctively moved behind Malik to protect both him and the body strung against his shoulders. "I quite like being on top again. And it's funny…how much the hierarchy reformed beneath me, really, it is… But none of you seem to be laughing much."

"Otogi," Bakura sneered, fists curling. "You did this…"

"Of course!" he smiled in return. "But it was a _game_ and he _lost_. I though Yami won all games? I'm disappointed. He didn't make things much fun for me…"

"How could you do this to someone!" Malik snapped.

"That question shouldn't be coming from you," Otogi chuckled, slipping near a wall and moving around Bakura's side and up to Malik's. "Don't you know? It was your brother who gave me the idea for the game. I thought it was clever… What was it he called it…?"

"Flip, Target, Destroy," a new voice chuckled. Otogi smirked at it, but the others weren't as amused.

"That's what it was…so very right… Thank your for the idea, Mariku."

"I thought you were a better person than this…" Malik stared at his brother.

"I'm a very good person! I had to keep you safe, Malik! And I succeeded!" Mariku pointed at the limp body. His eyes narrowed upon it. "Yet there you are, protecting the one that gave you pain without ever caring about you. Why are you protecting him! Drop him to the ground, Malik! He's not deserving of your attention!"

"I'd never wish my fate upon anyone else."

"Isn't that just sweet…" Otogi snorted. He swiped out a hand to grab for Yami, but Bakura moved in the way. "Bakura, you realize now that I'm back where I belong, that you serve _under _me, not with me like Yami's little games."

It was all a statement. It was all forced towards them as if it were the only way. Was it? Yami couldn't defend himself anymore and the other two weren't doing such a good job against Mariku and Otogi. Malik wondered what was making his brother the way he was… It had to be all the work in Egypt he had to go through; it had to be Shaadi stressing duties upon him.

Or maybe…his brother had been like this for awhile. But even if Malik was defending Yami now, Mariku would never harm him, right? _It's impossible_, Malik forced himself to think.

"Just go home," Malik whispered, his head lowered. "Please, just go home…you aren't helping me…you're making everything worse…"

* * *


End file.
